Keeping it in the Family
by 1vanth30s0m3
Summary: When can love go too far? When is it wrong to love someone? These were questions Lincoln never thought he had to answer. When Lynn confesses her love for him, he finds himself in for more than just one sister's love. Unknown to both lurks a monster with a familiar face and name, wanting Lincoln to herself. Can the two ever be left in peace or will it end in tragedy? Find out inside
1. Weird Feelings

**Please see AN at the end.**

Lincoln forlornly lay on his bed, trying to read one of his Ace Savvy comics despite having read the same panel three times. He had known that Clyde was going to be traveling the country with his family for the first few weeks of summer vacation, but it still didn't ease his depression. It was the first day of the break from school but it felt like the worst time in his life. He finally gave up trying to finish the comic, opting instead to put it away. He threw on some clothes, choosing to make his way downstairs to see if the t.v. was free. Luna's music was blasting from the other side of her door, so he knew she was too busy. He started down the stairs only to see Lisa heading up, so she wasn't going to be a part of the brawl. He looked then into the kitchen after hitting the bottom to see that Luan was busy with making pies for jokes and routines. All he had to do was just avoid her and he was golden. A smile joined his face only to leave when he directed his attention to the couch, noticing that Lynn was laying on it, enjoying some sport that was on.

Lincoln sighed, making it his resolve to head back and try to read his comic again. Lynn heard him, only to turn her head before grabbing his attention.

"Oh, hey Lincoln," she greeted before inquiring further into his distress, "So, what's wrong?" He turned back, a bit surprised that she was curious about his problems.

"Well," he gave, making his way to take a seat on the couch, Lynn adjusting so that he could have a seat, "It's just that Clyde is gone for a few weeks, so I've got nothing to really do." He lowered his head, letting it fall into his hands. She sat there listening, wondering.

"Really?" was all she gave in reply. She knew that Clyde was going away for a bit but it never occurred to her that maybe it would have such a massive effect on her little brother. Lincoln didn't pick up on the slight tone change in her voice.

"I'm sorry for bothering you during one of your games," he apologized, making for the trip back to his room. Lynn stopped him from getting off the couch.

"No, it's okay, really," she said, leaving him to freeze over in shock. He looked at her to see if she was really serious; well, that or if he was suffering some sort of stroke, only to wonder ever further when she said "In fact, you can pick the show." Had his ears deceived him? Lincoln, stared at her, grabbing the remote to make sure that she wasn't just screwing with him. He then looked at the t.v., slowly flipping through the channels, looking back at her occasionally to really see if she was going to stop him. He settled on Arggh!, waiting for Lynn to just lose it and steal the remote back so that she could watch her game. Nothing. In fact, Lynn seemed to actually like watching what was on. Lincoln tried focusing on the program but before he knew it, the credits started to roll and he just couldn't handle the queer atmosphere that was being generated.

"Uh, thanks for letting me watch my show, Lynn," he said before getting off the couch. A chill went down his spine as he heard "Thanks for picking the show, Lincoln" emanate from her mouth. No, no, something wasn't right. His sister never let someone change it from a game she was in the middle of watching, not without a fight. He turned to see that a smile was on her face, making the feeling of fear start to resonate even more within his gut. He decided that the best course of action was to head back to his bedroom before she could hurt him, if that was her plan.

Lynn, on the other hand, was fighting a completely different set of emotions from those of her little brother. She had been trying to suppress some odd feelings that she had been having for him. She didn't know why, but for some reason weird feelings were emerging within her for her brother just a month or two prior to school letting out. She didn't know how to explain them, nor did she really know where to go to see who could explain them. Instead, she was focusing on the fact that her brother was leaving the couch, berating herself for scaring him. She tried to act as normal as possible but that was easier said than done. She sighed internally before grabbing the remote to see if the game was still on. It still was, her team just barely winning. At least there was something to give her comfort for what had happened.

 _Why do I feel this way for him?_ she thought over and over again, enough to keep her from enjoying the game. The buzzer rang and her team had won. She had a slight smile stretched onto her face, happy to see something good come from all of this. Her thoughts then returned to Lincoln, destroying the happiness she felt, remembering that she had scared him away with her attempts at being nicer to him. At least she could try to figure it all out a little later. Lincoln came down the stairs again, heading for the door.

"Where are you headed off to?" she called from the couch. He looked at her before replying.

"I'm off to the arcade," he responded, a form of cheer and happiness entering his voice.

"Mind if I come as well?" she inquired. Lincoln's heart stopped. He had shock coursing through his body, trying to make sense of what his sister had said before all the processes reached the same conclusion: that yes, she had indeed asked to come to the arcade with him.

"Um, sure," he told her, worried of her meeting Ronnie Anne. Hopefully she would keep herself occupied with some sport game while he enjoyed a little competition in a game with his girlfriend. They started walking together, making some small talk as they strolled. Lynn seemed a bit too invested in his interests, he noticed. He welcomed the thought that one of his sisters would take an interest in his hobbies, but this was the one who seemed to have a completely different set of interests from his. She was practically a mirror opposite to him. Still, something was gnawing at him, as though things weren't as they seemed. They arrived not too long after their trip.

"You know, I think they have some sort of hoop shot game in here," he told her in an attempt to get her to be distracted from him. He still didn't want his sisters to know of the relationship he had with Ronnie Anne, a feeling that was mutual with her. Lynn thanked her brother, looking around the arcade for something to catch her eye. The hoop shot game was in the back just like he said, but she passed on it, looking for something a little closer to Lincoln. He was still waiting just outside the entrance, looking like he was waiting for someone. She started to play a game that allowed her a good view of him. She paid some attention to the game, trying to get a feel for the rail shooter only to end up getting a "Game Over" screen after failing to truly grasp the idea of the mechanics. She looked back to Lincoln, seeing him lower his head and start walking away. She rushed to his side.

"What's wrong Link?" she asked, trying to find the source of his broken feelings.

"Oh, uh, nothing," he replied, still walking away after having barely turned toward her.

"We just barely got here," she lightly protested before an idea stuck itself into her head. "How about we enjoy a game or two before we leave." He picked his head up, surprise somewhat visible on his face, before he started contemplating the idea.

"I doubt you'll agree to anything I wish to play," he stated, nearly resuming his former posture.

"And what makes you say that?" she countered. Immediately they stopped. He gave a look of disbelief. If it wasn't apparent before, it sure was now.

"Well, I just figured you'd–"

"I'd what? Come on, there's a game I think you could help me with," she interrupted, hoping to get him to reconsider his decision.

"Alright, I guess," he replied, looking less gloomy as he went back, Lynn following him. They began getting into the rail shooter she had chosen, enjoying some time together. His mood seemed to be picking up as he blasted through some enemies, Lynn doing the same.

"So, who were you to meet today?" she struck up, trying to see who it was.

"Well... I can't," Lincoln said, with a slight blush coming to his face.

"And just why not?" she asked, a bit of wonder creeping into her voice.

"Because you'll tell the family," he stated truthfully, getting hit by one of the enemies.

"I am appalled by such an accusation against my dear name!" she exclaimed softly, playfulness coating the tone.

"Alright, alright, but only if you promise not to tell anyone else," he forced out, attempting to get some sort of assurance to keep it a secret.

"I promise on my name as a Loud," she said with fake seriousness. He chuckled a little before he resumed.

"I was supposed to meet Ronnie Anne today but she was unable to make it," he explained, taking another hit from a lucky enemy.

"What?" was all that Lynn could manage, allowing an enemy to relentlessly take her health. A countdown began.

"Yeah," he started before being rudely interrupted by another lucky attack from an enemy, leaving him at a countdown screen. "Want to keep going or call it quits?"

"I think you've spent enough on me," she replied, seeing the counter hit zero. "So what were you saying?"

"Oh, I was just saying that I was supposed to meet with Ronnie Anne today, but she had other obligations," he explained as they got to the score chart to enter a name. "What do you want to put?"

"How about 'LLL'?" she told him.

"Works for me," he said as he pointed at that letter. They had achieved the highest score on the leaderboard. "Must be a fresh game," he muttered to himself. "So, yeah, that's why I came here." Lynn looked at him, her heart seeming to sink when hearing him talk of another girl in his life. They began to make their way home, the sun a bit lower in the sky.

"So... why were you meeting her?" Lynn forced the question, knowing what the answer might be. Lincoln began to fidget a little.

"Well... because it was date," he said after struggling to find the right words. Lynn took the words as a nail being pounded into her heart.

"Oh," was all she managed, trying to keep the sadness out of her voice. The walk home seemed to consist of silence with bits of conversation moving between them. They entered the door, their hearing assaulted by the chaos of the home. Lincoln turned to Lynn.

"Thanks for coming to the arcade with me," he told her, an unaware grin appearing, not realizing that he was banging at the nail in her heart with a verbal hammer.

"Your welcome. Thanks for taking me," she replied, trying to put on a mask of happiness. He headed up the stairs, presumably to his room. She checked if anyone was watching t.v., spotting Lola and Lana enjoying some Blarney. Without any other option to keep her truly occupied, save for some sport activity, she went up to her shared room. She buried her head in a pillow, hoping to drown out her sorrows by being alone with her thoughts, praying they would reach something sporty and away from Lincoln.

"What's wrong?" a voice sprang from nowhere.

"I don't want to talk about it, Lucy," she replied, too busy wallowing in her depression and pillow to have been scared by her sister's sudden appearance.

"You know the problem won't go away if you don't talk about it," Lucy said, hoping to get an answer.

"It won't go away if I _do_ talk about it," she retorted, her face no longer buried and staring at Lucy.

"Let me rephrase: _I_ won't go away until you tell me," Lucy delivered. Lynn, with the ultimatum forced onto her, sighed before explaining, sitting up to face her sister.

"Alright, fine," she started, "I don't know why, but... I think I love our brother," she explained, trying to find the right words to accurately describe it without being blunt, meeting with bluntness instead. Lucy just stared silently, Lynn unable to see what was going on behind her eyes.

"You're messing with me, aren't you?" was Lucy's response.

"I'm not," Lynn reiterated, trying to get the seriousness drilled into her sister's head.

"You really are serious," Lucy gasped. Lynn had her face buried in her hands, a blush of embarrassment coming on, waiting for the insults to start coming her way. "You have to tell him." Lynn was surprised by this reaction, moving her hands so that she could look at her sister.

"I can't," she countered, knowing full well of the consequences that might ensue from her gesture. She couldn't stand the thought of never seeing her brother if he rejected her for pouring her heart out to him. Then would come the family, next society. No, this wasn't an option.

"You must. It'll only get worse if you don't do anything," Lucy opined, her voice changing slightly from deadpan. "This is just when Edwin... no, wait, that was a different series. Point is, you can't not tell him." Lynn thought this over before giving a reply.

"And what of the good book, huh? It says that this is wrong," she countered, remembering when they used to attend church before the family got too big to contain the rowdiness, instead being left to study the bible on Sundays in observance.

"Then do something, because you might end up doing something worse than this," Lucy responded, backing off on the subject. Lynn then noticed Lucy had disappeared again, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She laid back down onto her bed, covering her face with her hands once more. _Which Hell is worse?_ Lynn wondered to herself.

Lincoln had resumed his attempt at finishing his comic, turning the last page. All he could think about was the way his sister had been acting. So much so, that he couldn't really recall the last few pages of the comic he just finished. He sighed, putting the item away, starting to really think about and recall the behavior she had been exhibiting prior to today. She seemed different though it had been so subtle, that today was the first time he really noticed the queer behavior. For the past two weeks, he hadn't been surprise-grappled by her. Then there was the lack of contact sports for a bit longer than that. Finally, he noticed the lack of involvement he had with sports in which he played against her for at least a month. Maybe he could talk to her about it after dinner.

A note slid under his door, removing him from his thoughts. He picked it up and unfolded it to see what the paper held in its clutches. It read: _Someone close has feelings for you._ He couldn't tell who wrote it, though he was able to recognize all his sisters styles of writing. This one seemed like it was purposely altered, trying to hide their identity. Maybe he could talk with Lisa or even Lynn to see who wrote it.

Lynn was poking her food with her fork, having only eaten half of it. Everyone around her had finished their plates. Her mother soon noticed and spoke up.

"What's wrong, honey?" she asked of her lovelorn daughter.

"What? Oh, it's just..." she led, trying to think of something decent. She didn't want to lie, especially to her mother, but telling your parents that you love a sibling as more than a sibling just isn't what you want to say if you wish to keep a strait jacket off of you, or worse yet, if you don't wish to drive them away with your life choices. Still, the decisions were there, weighing heavily on her mind. "My team lost their game today," she lied, hoping that her parents would buy it.

"Oh, well, sorry then," her mother responded, apparently buying it. She even assumed that it was a championship game from the way her daughter acted. Lincoln, on the other hand, was dealing with a separate problem. He was considering asking Lisa for help with the identity of the one who wrote the note he received, but chose against it. She seemed to be wrapped up in some sort of study involving Lily. Still, he barely finished his plate when a voice asked something of him.

"What?" he replied, unable to discern who it was that asked him or even what it was.

"I said, is everything alright?" Lana questioned. He wanted to say that something was bothering him, but the explanation of the item at the top of the list was something he didn't want to go through, so he went with item number two.

"Yeah, it's that Clyde is away for awhile, so I really have nothing to occupy myself with," he answered, hoping it would keep his younger sisters from prying too deep.

"Well, if you need to ever know how to win a beauty pageant, then I can help," Lola offered.

"Yeah, and I might need some help building the perfect mud-pie, if you're interested," Lana proffered, both trying to help their older brother through his rut. Lisa was too busy with her study to offer help, Lily too young to really give him anything to help soothe her older brother's woes. Lucy stayed silent, knowing what the problem was that sat at the top of her older brother's mind. Lynn walked into the kitchen to store her dinner in the fridge, passing by the kid table that was the eating place of her younger brother. She blushed lightly upon seeing him, though it helped her speed across the room so as to get out quickly. Lincoln saw that she had moved faster after seeing him, but not the blush that gave her the burst of speed. He moved to set his dishes at the sink, finding that Lynn moved even faster to leave the room.

"Curiouser and curiouser," he muttered to himself, vaguely remembering the famous line.

Lincoln headed straight into his room, trying to decipher the meaning of the message. Something wasn't right. No, this was trouble in paradise. He sat, playing the events of the day in his head, hoping to see what he was missing. A knock came at his door, removing him from his internal devices.

"Come in," he instructed, seeing that it was Lynn at his door as she entered the former linen closet. "Need something?" he asked, wondering what her visit was about.

"I need to tell you something," she replied. Lucy's words were stuck in her mind, constantly telling her to tell her brother of her feelings. She felt knots twisting and playing havoc in her stomach, nearly crippling her. She looked at him, seeing that he was all ears. The concern on his face was what was getting to her. She had double-checked to make sure the door was shut before entertaining the thought of continuing. "I... I... I can't do this!" she cried before leaving his room, tears begging at the doors that were her eyes. She bolted to her shared room, closing the door before leaning on it, only to slide to the floor, her back still pressed against it. Lucy would just have to enter through one of the vents, she thought in the deep recesses of her mind. Her face was buried in her knees as she began to cry, trying to keep it as soft as possible so as to lessen the involvement of her other siblings.

Lincoln sat there, speechless. He had never seen his older sister cry before. He really wondered what it was that she wanted to tell him, then he began to remember the note that was under his door, wondering if that was somehow a part of all of this. Still, he hated to see one of his siblings under such duress, always wanting to fix the problem so that they could return to their normal self. He got up, making his way to Lynn and Lucy's room, hoping to see what it was that was causing havoc with her emotions. He knocked. Nothing. He knocked once more.

"Go away," was all he got from Lynn.

"It's me, Lincoln," he informed her, hoping she would let him in. He heard someone getting off the floor and door before he was greeted by the sight of a crying Lynn. She ushered him in, closing the door.

"What do you need?" she asked, after turning back to him. Her eyes were all puffy and red from the crying she had done.

"I came in to see what the problem was," he said, stating the reason for his visit rather bluntly. She should have known that he would come in and try to console her, yet it slipped from her mind, forcing her to have to tell him what it was she meant to tell him in his room.

"You wouldn't understand if I told you," she said, trying to come off as cold, but failing spectacularly.

"Then I'll wait until I do understand," he told her calmly. Tears threatened to break across her eyes once more. She leaned against the door, going straight to the ground. She wanted to bury her face into her knees, but he came over to join her. After plopping down on her right side, he wrapped his left arm around her neck, trying to bring her into a hug of sorts. Instead, she kept fer face tucked away behind her hands, crying as she went into his chest. He waited until she stopped crying, so that he could see what the problem was, oblivious to the fact that he lay at the center of it all. Finally, the tears stopped flowing and she began to compose herself, moving from his chest though not throwing his arm from around her, bringing her knees to her own chest. "Are you ready to tell me what's bothering you?" he asked in concern. She merely nodded before responding.

"The problem is..." she struggled to say it, the words themselves refusing to leave of their own volition, "I... I think I love you."

"Well, I love you too, Lynn," Lincoln said, missing what she meant.

"No, not like that at all. I mean, I love you more than as a brother to me," she said, hoping that he understood what she was saying.

"Like, as in you love me like a friend," Lincoln said, the shock in his voice growing as he hoped that was what she meant, though he was beginning to reach a conclusion that seemed to match Lynn's very meaning.

"No. I mean, I love you more than a sister should," she said, turning toward him, the next series of words hitting Lincoln slowly, "I love you as someone would for someone that isn't related to them." Lincoln went white from hearing this. He wanted to faint, wanted to be sure this was all some sort of strange dream he could wake from. Lynn saw this and looked ready to cry again. "Please, say something," she choked, trying to keep from having her tears fall once more.

"I don't know how to respond," he managed, stunned at the revelation.

"I knew it! I just knew you would think less of me!" Lynn accused, tears beginning to flow. He simply pulled her back to him.

"I don't think any less of you," he said calmly, having regained some of his senses. She stopped crying, shocked at what he had said. He continued with his line of thought. "I really don't know what to think, but I don't think any less of you." His words held comfort to them, even if it was a little. He rubbed his forehead and eyes with his free hand. "I _really_ don't know what to think or say, but I don't think any less of you. That much is true." She hugged him, glad to know that he still loved her, even if it was just as a sister, though a thought raced through her mind, causing her to panic.

"Please don't tell mom and dad or anyone of our sisters, please," she begged, the very idea causing her to panic so.

"Don't worry, I won't say a thing to them," he reassured, trying to make sure she was going to calm down. He wasn't even sure if he should tell them or not. He then figured that he might have to think on the revelation. Still, nothing was normal about this. He started thinking back to the good book and what it said about this very thing, but even so, he still didn't know what to do with the items presented before him tonight.

 **Authors note: I do realize that incest is wrong. However, that said, this is a story that I've had rattling around in my head or a while and so I decided to write what is more or the less the story I wished to tell. Now if you don't like it simply because of incest, then I politely ask you to keep it to yourself. If there is something else that is bothering you, then let us please be adults about it. That said, I am going to inform you that I'm shooting for an upload once a week. I hope you understand this, as I am trying to write other pieces of fiction that aren't nigh impossible to publish like the one you just read/will read. Now, I am open to taking suggestions, though I may not use them. That said, enjoy the next chapter soon. P.S.: I might be uploading somewhere between Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. I don't know which will be the upload day.**

 **Edit: Alright. So, I managed to edit this chapter and others will be on the way, all of which is leading up to the grand finale. I hope you enjoyed and will look out for the other edited chapters soon.**


	2. Change (in the house of Louds)

**See AN at bottom**

Lincoln slept in his room, tossing and turning. He couldn't quit replaying the conversation he had with Lynn earlier. After she had told him that she loved him, he had his whole world ripped apart, trying to piece itself back together with the new insight. At least he could try to figure out how best to handle things from here. After all, he was the man with the plan. Morning came too soon, leaving him with some minor sleep deprivation. He made his way downstairs after checking that it was eight in the morning. Yawning, he descended the steps, going into the kitchen to grab some breakfast. He noticed Lori grabbing some coffee, possibly to go see Bobby at his new job.

"Morning," he said with a yawn attacking the end of the greeting.

"Morning," she replied, before turning around. "You look like you've seen hell." He really might have for all he knew. He even thought that he would see it in person, that is if he saw Lynn on the way down. He grabbed some cereal, pouring a bowl for himself.

"Off to see Bobby?" he asked, too tired to really care about the answer.

"Yes, he started a brand new job as a limo driver, so I'm off to congratulate him," she said, not noticing that he was too busy eating his cereal. "Anyways, see you later," she said on her way out the front door.

"Bye," he called out, nearly ready to plant his face into his breakfast. He took the time to sit at the adult table before the rest of his family got up. He then saw Lynn making her way down the stairs as he got up to return his bowl to the sink. "Morning," he greeted her, the thought of last night still fresh in his mind, creating an awkward atmosphere.

"Morning," she greeted back, still having the night before going through her mind. She couldn't look at him, not after all that transpired. He rinsed his bowl, setting it so that it would be washed by whomever's turn it was. He tried to leave the kitchen, only to be stopped by Lynn's voice. "Listen, Link, I'm sorry–"

"No, Lynn," he stopped her before she could continue any further. She had stopped rummaging in the fridge, giving him her full attention. He pressed on. "You have nothing to apologize to me for, so please, no." She seemed to understand what he said, going back to rummaging in the fridge. He made his way to his bedroom, making sure to get fully prepped for the day. Lynn was still in her nightwear, though she herself had insomnia over the whole ordeal. She simply reheated her dinner, enjoying it as best she could before any one else got up. She went back to her room after finishing the dinner. Maybe she would make the attempt at rest again. She crawled back into bed, closing her eyes.

"How'd your talk go?" Lucy asked from right beside her bedside.

"Go–" she nearly let off an expletive before catching herself. "What is it Lucy?" she asked, too focused on the apparition of her roommate for sleep to come.

"How'd your talk with Lincoln go?" she repeated with a slight expansion to her original question.

"I'd rather not talk about it, Luce," she replied, trying to go to sleep.

"You can tell me now or you can tell me later," Lucy told her.

"I can always tell you never," Lynn threatened, trying to drown her sister from her ears.

"Then maybe Lincoln can tell me," Lucy stated, moving to make her way to her brother's bedroom.

"Wait," Lynn called, stopping her sister from leaving. "I told him and he just... I don't know," she struggled, "but he doesn't think any less of me, at least." Lucy seemed to smile, though Lynn couldn't tell with that face of hers she always kept.

"Alright. Well, I'm going to take a shower before anyone else does." With that, Lucy left, leaving Lynn to ponder if she made the right choice. Lucy decided to make a small stop on her way to the bathroom. She'd visit her older brother before nabbing the coveted room.

"Hey Lincoln," she greeted, sending her brother into the air.

"Lucy!" he scolded, trying to calm down from the fright he had just received. There was no doubt in his mind that if he been sleepy before, then he was wide awake now.

"Sorry. I just came in to see how Lynn's talk went last night," she explained for her stop.

"Well, that makes one of us because I told her I wouldn't tell anyone about it," he said, wishing to be respectful of his sister's wishes and privacy.

"She knows that I know of its contents," Lucy admitted, trying to pry further.

"Well, unless she tells me personally, I'm not saying a word," he dug even further in. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a shower to take," he told her, making his way to the bathroom. Lucy didn't bother arguing for the shower, opting to enjoy breakfast instead; well, enjoy it the way she usually experienced joy. Lincoln stepped out of the bathroom, only to see Lynn waiting in line for her turn. They exchanged a few awkward words and glances before he hurried on his merry way to his bedroom, getting ready for the day. He got dressed, leaving the house as the rest of the siblings rose from their slumber. He had somewhere to be this morning.

Lincoln met with Ronnie Anne in one of the parks he usually visited. She started to apologize for not making it the day before due to some family stuff popping up, but that she could go today if he should so wish.

"You like my sisters, right?" he asked, trying to get a feel for what he wanted to say. She thought for a moment before handing him her answer.

"I guess so," she said, remembering how few her interactions with his family were.

"It's just... can I ask you something Ronnie Anne?" he inquired, stopping from their stroll and changing the subject, not sure if he really should continue with what he wanted to say.

"Sure," she replied, stopping with him, curious as to what he wanted to ask.

"I really want to know your opinion so that I can choose how to proceed," he stalled.

"Okay, I'll try to help," she said, hoping it wasn't something frivolous.

"I... I really don't know any other way of saying this," he further stalled, trying to steer from his course, only to find he was stuck taking it, "How do I... one of my sisters seems to have developed feelings for me," he finally released, glad that no-one else was at the park. Ronnie Anne just stared before laughing heartily.

"Oh, man, you got me lame-o, you got me. Alright, let's go," she said, still chuckling to herself, continuing their walk.

"I'm serious," he said, having not moved from when he stopped.

"Come on, it was funny once but not the second time around," she said, turning to face him. He simply kept his face, looking at her with as much seriousness as he could muster. "You're joking right." She tried to read his face but it wasn't joking. "For the love of God, please tell me you're joking," she began to realize that he was far from joking, her face beginning to contort.

"If only, Ronnie Anne, if only," was his answer to her request.

"Who is it?" she asked, jealousy creeping in.

"I'm not going to tell you," he told her, trying his damnedest to keep his sister safe from Ronnie Anne's inevitable wrath.

"Lincoln, you're going to tell me who this freak of nature is," she demanded of him, ready to start threatening.

"No, I'm not and you're going to pick a better choice of words when you talk about my family," he told her. He knew this was going to escalate quickly though he had little control of any of the conversation anymore.

"Why? Why won't you tell me?" she interrogated, hoping to reach a conclusion.

"Because I don't think it'd be wise in case you started blabbing to others when you take out your anger on her," he told her, hoping that she wouldn't continue any farther down her line of thought.

"You love her too, don't you?" Ronnie Anne seemed to whisper, jumping to a conclusion that wasn't meant to be implied nor was based in reality.

"Ronnie Anne," he started.

"That's sick!" she yelled, making a disgusted face.

"Ronnie Anne, please keep this quiet," Lincoln calmly said, anger beginning to show through his tone.

"And just why? Just give me one reason why I should keep quiet about this, huh?" she argued, the venom already primed.

"Because rug munching used to be considered just as bad," he countered, fury coating the words and tone of voice that uttered them. Ronnie Anne looked hurt, almost as if he had beaten her with his bare hands.

"How dare you–" she tried to fight back.

"How dare I? How dare _I_? How dare you?! You're the one jumping to baseless conclusions and degrading my family with your words," he fought back, continuing his tirade, "And yet you stand here, accusing me of being the one that's a monster."

"I told you that in confidence," she claimed, her emotional state shattered, though it was taking forever to begin its toll.

"And I told you so that I could seek an opinion on how to resolve my situation," he ranted, driving in every word like a nail, "Now, I know your opinion and I don't want any part of it." His next words finally gunned down her heart. "I've seen the real you and I don't like her. Goodbye, Ronnie Anne," and like that, he turned to walk away, heading for home.

"Don't you dare walk away from me, Loud," she called, hoping to get some sort of response. He paid no mind, acting like she was nothing but air. She had fallen to her knees, unable to believe the exchange of words they had. His words had stung her with venom. "I told you that in confidence," she whispered to herself, tears damming up, thoughts turning to bobby to get her from the place she was wounded at.

Lincoln walked into his home, ignoring the chaos like it was deafening silence. He went into his room, not bothering to close the door. He lay on the bed face-down in his pillow, letting sleep take him from the world in which he had broken up with his girlfriend, the world in which his sister loved him in a more than sisterly fashion, the world that just seemed to be broken and upside-down.

Lynn had been practicing some of her sports in the backyard, trying to keep herself from thinking about the talk she had with her brother. It had been a couple of hours, so she called it and went in to freshen up for whatever else might be a part of her day. She saw that her brother's door was open and grew curious about what he was up to. She walked to his doorway, peering in to find that he was face-down in his pillow.

"Hey, Lincoln, you up?" she gently called from her position. He started to stir, raising his head up, leaving a wet spot in the pillow. His eyes were red, though sleep seemed to be playing something of a role in his expression.

"Yeah, I'm up. Why?" he questioned, stretching while moving to sit on his bed.

"Were you crying?" she asked, her voice becoming concerned for her brother.

"What? No," he queried, looking to his pillow, which contradicted his stance. "At least I don't think I was," he said, figuring the tears came during his nap. Lynn moved into his room, closing the door behind her.

"What's the matter, Link?" she grilled, worried that her brother was suffering from something atrocious.

"I got into a fight with Ronnie Anne and we broke up," he admitted, though it was surprising that he almost didn't care for it. "At any rate, the tears I shed would be better suited for the damned than for her," he claimed, leaving his sister shocked.

"Why would you say such things?" she asked, trying to wrap her head around his attitude toward it all.

"Because she attacked you verbally and I wouldn't stand for it," he reasoned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. She still didn't understand it all but at least it didn't seem to be affecting him that badly.

"Well, if you ever need anything, then I'm here for you," she told him, hoping that he would have her help him if he needed it.

"Well, I think I need you to move out of the way, 'cause here comes Lori," he warned. Lynn moved out of the room and, sure enough, Lori was charging down the hallway, looking as if she were on the warpath.

"What is wrong with you Lincoln?!" she blasted, nearly to the point of becoming physical in her approach. He simply stood up and began tending to his clothes, straightening them as he spoke.

"If it has to deal with Bobby or Ronnie Anne, then I don't want to hear it," he calmly told his oldest sister. Her rage just seemed to multiply with that sentence alone. Before she could respond, he continued, "Besides, I have somewhere to go," and he made his way past Lori. She looked to the point of strangling him with his own intestines before just giving up to cry, running to her shared room. Lincoln merely turned to Lynn. "Want to take a stroll with me?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied, wondering what it was all about, wondering if this was the result of his breakup. They headed toward the door when Leni, who was enjoying some fashion magazine on the couch, stopped them with a simple question.

"Where are you two heading?"

"Nowhere," her younger brother told her, continuing like nothing was happening. He held the door open for Lynn, closing it behind her.

"I wonder where that is?" she thought to herself before returning to her magazine.

"Where are we going, Link?" Lynn asked, hoping to see where they would go despite the answer he gave to their older sister.

"Wherever my legs take us," he responded. They began walking, stopping when they hit a corner. Lincoln simply dropped to his knees, his expression of carelessness being replaced by all sorts of emotions, each fighting with one another for control of his face. Lynn knelt down next to him. "I don't get it, Lynn," he told her.

"What? What's wrong Lincoln?" Lynn asked, worrying if he was going to break down.

"I defended you and yet I feel like I'm the monster," he said, his tone just sounding as if it were staring into space, on the verge of destroying itself. Lynn worked quickly, trying to think of something to say to help comfort him.

"Come on, don't say that, come on," she said, praying that that would work in snapping him out of his daze, grabbing his right hand to help give her attempt at comfort some weight.

"Why? It's true," he said, stepping further into that void.

"No. No it's not," she told him, struggling to make sure he didn't just give up on his emotions and the world around him. Something began to stir behind his eyes. She let go of his hand.

"I know where we're going now," he informed her, his tone starting to return to normal.

"Alrighty then, let's go," she encouraged him. She didn't know where they were going but hoped that it might be some place to help him cope better. She stood up, extending her hand to help her brother up. He took it, standing back up. As they began to walk, they continued holding hands. They finally reached a house. He let go of his sister's hand, knocking on the door. It opened, revealing Ronnie Anne as the greeter.

"What do you want, lame-o?" she interrogated, still upset over the events that had happened earlier. She appeared to have been crying, though a scowl had replaced the feeling of sadness on her face.

"Is Bobby here?" Lincoln asked, wishing to see him in order to straighten things out with Lori.

"No. He's still at his job," she explained.

"Well, I guess this is it then," he muttered to himself before getting to the meat of his visit. "I've simply come over so that I could apologize for my earlier actions, but I also came over to make sure my sister would receive an apology for your actions. So, for what it's worth, I'm sorry." Ronnie Anne stood there the whole time, seemingly able to pierce his very soul with her scowl until he mentioned his sister, then her eyes widened, changing her entire expression. She waited for him to finish, before looking between the two, shock having hit her face like a bat.

"This is the sister?" was all she managed before hitting the ground, having fainted from the revelation that this was the one who had feelings for him. Lincoln tried to save her from the fall, failing to reach her in time. Lynn started checking if Ronnie Anne was alright, coming to the conclusion that it was just a faint. She was thankful for all those years in sports teaching her how to check for injuries.

"Help me get her upstairs," he told Lynn, grabbing the unconscious girl's feet. They managed to get her to her room, setting her gently on the bed. "I'm going to leave a note," he said, immediately searching for a pencil and some paper. Lynn couldn't help but worry about what might have happened had she kept her feelings to herself; wondering if Ronnie Anne would somehow feel like Lincoln was stolen by her. After all was said and done, they made their way home, holding hands the whole while. They entered the front door, removing their physical contact from each other. Both headed up the stairs, ending up outside of Lincoln's room.

"Thanks for doing that, Lincoln," Lynn said, a smile lining her face, happy that he wanted to right any wrongs, regardless of all involved. He smiled too, though a bit weaker than her.

"Please, it was the least I could do," he replied before noticing that Lori was still grieving over the breakup she had with Bobby. He guessed Ronnie Anne still had yet to see the note, well that or she didn't follow through with his request. There was also the chance that Bobby had yet to return home.

"Well, since this ugly piece of business is out of the way, I guess I better leave you to your own devices," she told him before heading into her room.

"One moment, real quick," he squeezed in before following Lynn into her bedroom. Lucy wasn't around (at least from what they could see). He made sure the door was shut before he continued with what he wanted to say. "Remember when I told you that I didn't think any less of you?" he asked. She nodded and he continued. "Well, I think that we should go some place nice tomorrow. What do you say?" Lynn was taken aback by the offer.

"Y-yes, sure, I think that would be nice," she stuttered, pleasantly surprised by the offer.

"Alright, I guess I'll see you then," he told her, turning around to leave, only to stop when Lynn grabbed his shoulder. He turned to see what she wanted but was met with a kiss from his older sister. It was filled with passion, feeling deep with love. They finally broke from the kiss, panting heavily from how deep it had gone. Their smiles widened, happy with the end-result. He continued out the door, happier than he had ever felt before, blissfully ignorant of someone keeping an eye on the two of them.

Ronnie Anne had woken up from her faint, searching around to see where she was at. She noticed that she was in her bedroom, a note addressed to her left on the nightstand beside the bed. She began reading it. It read: _Dear Ronnie Anne, I came and apologized for my actions, expecting one for my sister Lynn for your actions. I am deeply sorry for hurting you, but I don't see us ever getting back together. I can only ask that you tell your brother to stay with Lori, despite what bad blood may be between us. Please, understand all that I say and do. – Lincoln_. She stared at it, rereading it again and again. She still didn't like the idea of him being with one of his sisters, much less anyone other than her but there was nothing she could do to change his mind.

She began to question her reaction to his news, wondering if it was the best choice of wording to speak to him with in terms of what he wanted to say. He did explain after all that he wanted to see how to go about the idea of his sister's love with him for a happy end to it all rather than entertain the thought of cheating on her. Still, she found it harder to accept that he had used her secret against her. She remembered him yelling out that she liked to play for both teams and reminding her of how it used to be when something like that was considered awful, if not as bad as what he began talking about. She wanted to take back the past, to choose a different path with her words. Nothing could fix that now. He still wouldn't go out with her, even if she did apologize for all that was said. Her feelings started to rise again, mixing over and over, not able to decide what they wanted to become. She heard the front door open and her brother call out that he was home. She headed downstairs.

"Hey, Bobby," she said, sadness taking over her voice.

"Hey, how's my favorite sister?" he asked in a cheery voice, trying to lift her spirits up.

"I'm your _only_ sister," she responded, a minor smile making itself join her face only to be ripped off soon thereafter.

"I know, but that doesn't make my statement any less true, does it?" he told her trying to lift her spirits once more.

"Alright, you've made your point, but... I do want to ask you to do something for me," she told him, hoping that he would do it without question.

"Sure thing, sis," he said, oblivious to what she was going to ask.

"Well, I need you to stay together with Lori," she said, hoping for him to say yes.

"Are you sure, especially after what Lincoln did to you?" he asked, wondering why she had made this request.

"Lori shouldn't have to suffer for Lincoln's actions," she started, still seeing her brother holding a concerned look, "Plus, I don't want to deprive you of your happiness," she finished hoping it would satisfy her brother.

"Well, if you're sure about this," he said, wondering if she would be truly happy with it. Ronnie Anne nodded, letting him know that she was okay with it. He went out of the room, letting her know that he would be right back after making a call. She watched him leave and headed back to her bedroom. She started to let tears fall, not caring for anything else in the world. She always put on a tough act, but all that stress and pain had to be let out sometime. She just felt like she lost a large part of her world when Lincoln left, almost as if a piece of her soul was taken with him. She kept thinking about it all, hoping that nothing else would happen to her to wreak further havoc with her emotions. Then something clicked in her head. Maybe if she went over to his house tomorrow, she could apologize for her talking ill of his sister. Maybe that would send the idea that she wanted to be a part of his life, even if it was never back to a dating kind of relationship. Yeah, that seemed to help with her tears, waiting for tomorrow.

Lincoln lay on his bed, wondering to himself, exploring all of that which happened across the day. He wondered if he had guaranteed his entrance into Hell, worrying that he might hurt Lynn unintentionally since he didn't seem to reciprocate her feelings in their entirety. He figured the feelings would come in time, but when? He couldn't stand that she was so sad when she thought he hated her for her feelings, but he couldn't just lead her on. Maybe he was too emotionally destroyed to really think or feel anything about it all. He sighed, hoping he would never hurt his sister.

Luan was looking over her cameras, looking more specifically at the one that had caught Lynn and Lincoln kissing.

 _That bitch!_ she thought to herself. She couldn't believe that Lynn was putting the moves on their younger brother. Although neither one told the other about it, they each held feelings for him. Now, Luan knew that she had competition to vie for his heart, especially with Ronnie Anne out of the way. She began to plot out elaborate pranks against her sister, scrapping them all. No, revenge was a dish best served cold, so that's how she would go about it. Immediately, Machiavellian thoughts started racing into her mind, a Cheshire smile dancing across her lips. This was going to be fun.

 **Author's notes: Here's the second chapter. I can only hope you enjoyed it. I encourage you to stay tuned for the next chapter when it rolls around. I am open to any questions you have so please ask if you have some. That said, I am still working on this story but I do have an idea for another story so I might reveal what it is sometime in the future. Thanks for reading.**

 **Edit: Yeah, I edited this one as well. Don't worry. I saved what made it to fanfiction before the edits, so if you want to read the original stuff, I might post it somewhere else and will let you know where if I do.**


	3. La Principessa

**See AN after reading**

Lincoln was startled awake, having risen from a nightmare. He sat up, sweating, trying to recall what was a part of the dream that removed him from his rest. He could only remember that Lynn was being held hostage by Ronnie Anne, drowning with Ronnie Anne holding Lynn's head in a tub under some sort of liquid. She simply turned to Lincoln, bound to a chair and unable to help his sister, telling him with glee "Your love is killing her Lincoln" before laughing maniacally. He couldn't move, even scream. His voice was simply lost to a vacuum, arms bound by rope. He watched his sister die, right in front of him. It didn't help him any in knowing it was all in his sleep but he wanted it to.

"You okay?" a voice asked him. He turned to see it belonging to Lynn, standing in his doorway. He moved to get out of his bed, sweeping her into a hug. He closed his eyes, taking in the scent of her hair. Her concern grew exponentially. "Lincoln, what's wrong?" she queried, the panic starting to take root in her voice.

"Nothing," he lied, trying to take his mind from the nightmare. He broke the embrace, stepping back to allow some breathing room for them both, only to then get a question to jump into his mind. "What are you doing in my room?" She looked a little sheepish, before admitting the reason.

"I came in because I heard some screaming," she said, trying to hide her concern to the best of her abilities. She knew that the others would've heard him as well, making their way to check on him. He peeked at his clock, noticing it was seven-thirty. His day just had to begin so early didn't it. Right on cue, his sisters began filing out of their rooms along with their roommates. They began doting on him, driving it to a point where he had to force them from his room. Each one made their way to a different part of the house, choosing different ways to start the day. Lynn was the last to leave, making sure Lincoln was alright. Someone snuck into the shower, leaving Lynn to line up for her turn.

"Psst, hey," a voice called. Lynn turned around, trying to see who it was trying to get her attention. "Hey, over here," the voice called again. Lynn saw that it was Luan, her head poking out of her and Luna's room. Lynn made her way over, both cautious and wondering why Luan was calling her over. She was grabbed by her arm and thrown in, receiving a jolt from one of Luan's hands.

"Oops, I guess I forgot about the buzzer in my hand. Seems like you were 'shocked' to find it," she said, leaving Lynn to groan at the awfulness of the joke.

"Luan, it's too early to torture me right now," Lynn informed her, trying to get her to talk about why she wanted to speak to her.

"What, can't I spend a little time with my younger sister?" she responded, braces gleaming in the poor light of the day creeping through the windows.

"Well," Lynn started.

"Oh, come on," Luan begged.

"Alright, alright," she admitted in defeat. "So, why did you want me?" she cut to the point. Luan seemed to get a grin to cross her face.

"Well, it's just that I noticed the way you and Lincoln were hugging each other last night," she began, leaving Lynn to get wide-eyed, paleness setting itself into her face. Luan continued, pretending not to notice, "I just figured that maybe there was something going on behind the scenes." Lynn just couldn't help but stare in worry, hoping that she wasn't caught in her love for Lincoln.

"What makes you say that?" she asked, praying she hadn't been caught. A lump began forming in her throat.

"I guess you could say that I have an eye in the sky," Luan informed her sister, laughing shortly thereafter. Lynn knew she wouldn't just laugh for no reason, knowing that she would do so after a joke of some sort. Oh no. Fear pumped ever more into her system, waiting to react to whatever came her way. Luan paid no mind. "I mention this simply because I want you to show Lincoln a good time," she said, tipping Lynn off to the knowledge of their date today. Lynn was unaware of the motivation behind her words, not knowing of the plan that was at work. "You see, the best way to cheer him up is to make sure he goes to Jean Juan's French Mex," Luan fed Lynn. Lynn started to think about it and the more she thought, the more she liked it. It seemed odd to her that Luan was okay with what she was doing with her brother, though she still didn't want to risk the rest of her family knowing about it.

"Thanks for the idea, Luan," Lynn told her sister. Luan just laughed in her own mind, knowing of the dominoes she just pushed over. Lynn left, making sure she went back to hold her spot in line for the bathroom. Luan shut the door behind her sister and pulled out a book from her dresser.

"Oh, Niccolo, if only you had lived later so I could meet you in real life," she talked to the book. She thought it was bland, being nothing more than simply a guidebook for taking over countries but found that it was worth reading, in case she ever needed to remove competition. She then placed the book back in her dresser, making sure her clothes were hiding it.

Lincoln sat on his bed, trying to find reason in the insanity that was becoming his life. He had broken up with Ronnie Anne after the things she had accused of him, destroying the name that was his kin; he had apologized for using something of hers against her. He worried that she would try and hurt him or, worse yet, his sister. He kept wondering how to feel about it all. He hadn't shown any real emotion or care until it just hit him, slamming into him with a weight that felt like a pallet of bricks. He wanted to feel sad, but he couldn't and now that he could, he didn't want to. He sighed, getting off the bed and dressing for the day. It would take forever for a shower, so he might as well kill time while waiting.

He had just thrown on his clothes, ready to greet the day when he heard the doorbell go off. He raced there, seeing who it was. He threw open the door, revealing that it was Ronnie Anne on the other side. Whatever semblance of a smile was on his face before, left, leaving something in the way of surprise to take its place. He left the house to venture to the front step, making sure that no others could hear or see him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, making some attempt at being cold, though success wasn't in his favor. He began to think about his nightmare, but pushed it to the pits of his mind.

"I came over to apologize to you and your sister," she told him, the wounds and shock still fresh from the day before. He seemed to be glad about this, knowing that she had the heart and decency to make for a better today by owning up to her actions.

"Thank you, though I am going to ask you to wait here while I grab Lynn." Just like that, he disappeared inside, questing to get Lynn. He approached her room first hoping to find her. He knocked, listening for someone to answer him. He knocked again, getting an answer from the one he sought.

"Come in," she instructed him, not knowing who was on the other side of the door. She was in the middle of tying her hair back into a ponytail, without much on besides her undergarments. He walked in, taking in the sight before him before turning a shade of red no-one would think possible. He averted his eyes to the ground, too embarrassed to speak. She had the luxury of changing in locker rooms for a good portion of her life, destroying a lot of the embarrassment that she would have felt. It still did nothing to hide what little red reached her face. "Need something?" she asked, the blush having touched her voice a tad.

"I came in to tell you that Ronnie Anne is here and wants to say sorry," he spoke, his voice constantly changing because of the sight he beheld prior to his aversion. He thought that she looked cute in the pick of underwear she chose.

"Oh," she managed before getting her hair done and struggling with her shirt. She then threw her shorts on as quickly as humanly possible. "You can look now," she informed him. He was still too afraid to move his eyes from the ground, choosing to ignore his sister's words. "Look, I've got shorts on," she told him, hoping he would snap out of whatever was the matter with him. He looked, slowly at first just to test the water, finding that she was telling the truth. The blush was there, though it had removed itself from his face by a large percentage. "Come on, we should talk to her," Lynn suggested, tugging his hand to help pull him along, but only until they hit the hallway. Lynn went to the front door, stepping out with Lincoln following suit, the door closing behind them.

"You wanted to say something," Lincoln reminded Ronnie Anne. She took a deep breath before starting.

"I just want to say that I'm sorry for all that I've said about you," she told them, hoping that things would improve between the three of them. Lynn was a little surprised but unfazed by it all, considering she didn't hear a single word of the insults, nor did Lincoln tell her of what all was said. Ronnie Anne started to turn away, leaving them alone on the stoop before her attention was grabbed by Lynn.

"Wait," she called after the single girl. Ronnie Anne turned, awaiting further words from the older girl. "Why don't you join us?" she proffered, trying to find a way to comfort her. She couldn't stand the idea that she had stolen Lincoln from her, no matter what he thought.

"Thanks, but I've got other things to attend to. I appreciate the offer," Ronnie Anne stated remembering her manners, making the attempt at leaving once more. Lynn and Lincoln stood there, the latter stunned that his sister had tried to make good between them the way she did. He was emotionally torn in every direction but was beginning to regain control over it all. They headed back inside, chaos in full swing. He saw that there was some time before he wanted to leave the house with his sister. The bathroom was open, giving him the time to get ready for his time out on the town.

Luan was in her room, having observed all that was exchanged between her siblings and Ronnie Anne on the front step, remembering her encounters when she had asked Ronnie Anne to deliver the ultimate end prank last April fool's day. That was partly why she told Lynn to go to the restaurant that Lincoln started dating Ronnie Anne at. Still, the gears turned in her head, thinking of how she could make the two girls her marionettes, useful for tearing each other apart, leaving just Lincoln for her and her only.

Luna was tending to her guitar in the garage, trying to find the one tune to bring her out of her misery, instead resorting to something from her favorite artist only to find that it made her even sadder. She had gone through Luan's videos, checking to see if her sister had something on her that was... well, better left unsaid, finding that Lynn had kissed her brother in its stead. She saw it and her heart blew into oblivion, the disappearance resembling that of cocaine up a junkie's nose. She held feelings for him, never letting anyone know of it at all. She simply bottled it up, tending to herself in the shower when the urge struck her. She had these feelings for him for well over a year, yet it tore her up spiritually.

She was a God-fearing woman, yet she still held these feelings, leaving her to wonder if she should suppress them further or let the devil take hold of her. The very battle of questions that raged in her mind and heart left her unable to decide. This helped fuel her love of music, trying to make her forget her problems. She always felt so guilt-ridden after such a shower that she cranked her amps up to eleven in an effort to drown out her thoughts. She never did know who to turn to in order to find the solution to her problems nor did she think she ever would. She plucked the last few notes of her song, choosing to switch genres. Maybe country would soothe her soul. Now she felt even more awful.

Lincoln was prepared for the rest of the day's events. He saw that the clock in his room read noon, meaning he could hit someplace for lunch with Lynn on top of anything else. He grabbed Lynn before heading out the front door.

"So, where do you want to go?" he asked, having grabbed her hand as they began walking down the road.

"I have an idea, but it's a surprise," she told him, waiting for the gratitude she would receive for taking him to a restaurant that would bring joy to her brother. He walked, not knowing of the place he would be enjoying, trying to deduce what it could be. They walked, until they came into view of the eatery she had planned for. He saw it, thinking there might be some be other place nearby, the realization hitting him as they stopped outside the very doors she had been told would bring joy to him. He looked to her, glee across her face, worry on his.

"You're sure you want to eat here?" he queried, dreading the response.

"Well, I just thought that this would be a great place for a first date," she said, her optimism bright in her voice. It started to crack as she saw the look that was still on her brother's face. "Is something wrong?" He looked at her before making the choice to tell her.

"It's just that... that this is where Ronnie and I had our first date," he gave blatantly, making the effort to be gentle in his choice of words. He dreaded saying it but he didn't want to lie to his sister either.

"Oh," she told him before an idea came to her. "What if we get it to go and eat at a park?" He looked at her, a smile finally touching his lips.

"Yeah, that sounds pretty nice." With that, they entered to grab their food. They went to a park, making sure it was one where he couldn't remember his breakup, enjoying what started off as an awful date, watching the sun move from east to west. He looked at her, knowing that she was ignorant of the fact that he had his first date with his ex-girlfriend at that food joint prior to his telling her. "It sure was good," he complimented, still looking at his sister. She agreed.

"I wonder why Luan told me you would like eating there?" she pondered. He merely looked at her, intrigued by what she had said.

"Luan told you that?" he said, incredulous to the idea.

"Yeah, she said it would cheer you right up," Lynn remembered from their talk earlier that day. It didn't surprise Lincoln too much that Luan knew of that place, considering she had probably gotten a gig there. There was the possibility of her learning about it from Ronnie Anne, though he didn't want to think that his sister set him up to feel awful, or at least hold resentment towards Lynn. What he did seem to know is that his sisters loved to meddle, still leaving him stranded in the middle of nowhere. Still, he couldn't help but feel strings were being pulled by someone. He started to look around, seeing that there were a good few people at the park. Each was doing their own thing, whether it was playing at the playground or a jog through the area.

Someone was paying close attention to their every move. From some distance off, Luan had her camera zoomed in on the two. She looked to see if anything was happening such as him hating Lynn or if there was going to be a bit of anything else to let her know that Lincoln was having an awful time. She trailed them, watching their every move. Yet as she kept peeking, she saw that Lincoln interlaced his hand with Lynn's. A burning rage began building up, only to be quelled when a rather witchy thought came forward: she could get some evidence and blackmail Lynn. Yes, that's what she'd do.

Some newfound energy from the idea crept into her, allowing her to keep filming. A glint came off of her braces, showing her position. She didn't notice though, considering the way her eyes were placed in her head. Lincoln was still looking around taking in the scenery, spotting the glint from where he was. He thought nothing of it, thinking it was a car from over in that direction. He turned back to Lynn, smiling slightly.

"This was nice. Thanks," he told her. She smiled back, having waited to see if he truly had a good time.

"You're right, it was nice," she said before tacking on "Thanks for the good time." He told her "No problem" before turning his thoughts to something else.

"You ever think that something isn't right?" he asked, trying not to ruin the mood, but he was unable to keep it out of mind, forcing it into the open. She began to think on what he said, a face of deep thought putting itself on.

"Now that you mention it, I do guess that something odd is out and about," she replied, continuing, "almost as if there's some sort of plot against us." He nodded in agreement, still looking around.

"Well, I think it's time we head back home," he opined, standing as he did so. She stood up, still holding his hand. They walked like so from the park, crossing through town to be back in their domicile. They kept an eye out for any family that might be out, making sure to drop their contact if they were spotted. No problems so far as they were a street away from their home. They were still unable to notice the stalker of a sister that was following them. They could hear Luna's music from where they were at, curious if any of their neighbors were deaf yet. They crossed the street, getting within a hundred feet of the house, before seeing the twins playing outside. They dropped contact, walking side-by-side. Lincoln spotted Lisa out there as well, scribbling on her notepad as she appeared to be observing the twins.

He assumed she was done studying Lily, having moved on to the twins. Lynn went in, heading to her room. Lincoln was called over by Lana, wanting help with building a mud pie. He obliged, wanting to allow a few thoughts to swirl in his head while keeping his hands occupied. Lynn, made it to her room, taking a load off on her bed.

"How'd it go?" Lucy came from nowhere to see what went on during their date.

"Jesus fu–! Lucy!" Lynn scolded, trying to set an example for all of those within earshot. "You've got to quit doing that."

"Sorry. But seriously, how did it go?" she apologized.

"I think it went well," she told her younger sister. She did think it went well, but she had a few questions about the whole thing.

"Well, that's good then," Lucy commented, with almost undetectable levels of happiness in her tone.

"Yeah, but," Lynn added," I can't help but feel that something doesn't want us to be together." She sighed, putting her face in her hands. She kept them there, trying to allow herself to think on what it was that she was trying to figure out.

Lincoln went into the house after having helped with building a mud pie. He decided that a shower might be the best thing to remove some of the mud that had accumulated on him. He came up to the bathroom door, knocking on it to see if anyone was on the other side occupying it. Nothing was the answer he received from the room. With this in mind, he opened it to find that an occupant was indeed inside. Luna was tending to her head in general, headphones blaring music that could be understood by her younger brother from twelve feet away. He could hear every note and chord, even the lyrics perfectly, as if he were wearing the headphones himself.

Luna was naked, presumably fresh from a shower. Not even a towel was wrapped around her rather well built and gorgeous frame. He simply couldn't move from the shock of seeing his older sister naked. She was finally done with some eyeshadow when she saw her brother in the mirror. He was so red in his face, that Mars would have a difficult time comparing to it. She immediately stopped doing anything else, staring back at him in the mirror. She moved her headphones off, still locking eyes. He began to close the door, backing out of the room. She moved to throw her towel on, the embarrassment glued on as her only expression. She finished the rest of her routine, leaving the towel on and making sure her music was turned off.

Luna left the room, hoping Lincoln didn't see much, if anything. She met Lincoln on the way out, making things even worse in terms of blushing between the two. He couldn't look her in the face, moving past her to take the room. She nearly legged it to her shared room, hoping that Luan wouldn't be there. After stepping in, she nigh slammed the door behind her. She began checking around, trying to find the music device that she was using only to realize it was still in the bathroom. Luna ran back, hearing the water running. She had two choices: wait for the room to be free to nab it, or dash in and dash out.

She chose the latter of the two, unable to wait to finish the album she was listening to. She opened the door slowly, making sure the hinges wouldn't creak as she entered. All she had to do was grab it and... she saw his clothes on the floor. He was naked and in the shower. She started to realize this, letting it process in her mind. She looked toward the curtains, then looked back to the device. She was still in her towel. She started to think on it all. She had moved between the curtains and music, trying to make a decision.

 _Well, just a peek then_ , she thought to herself. Luna approached the curtains, hand extended. Her fingers rested on the entrance of the curtains, ready to... she was shaking. She was there, ready to look in, having deviated from her original plan. She wasn't shaking from excitement. _This is your brother_ , she chided herself mentally. Tears began to form in her eyes. _The fuck is wrong with you_ , she continued berating herself. Tears had begun to roll. _What would mom and dad think? What would Lynn say?_ , the next thought sealing it for her. _What would God think?_ She moved from the curtains, heading to her device and grabbing it. She scurried out of the room, closing the door silently behind her.

Luna made it back to her room, hoping no-one bore witness to her entrance of the bathroom. She laid her head in her hands, tears hitting the floor. She hated herself for even thinking about it. She made sure to get dressed, unable to quit hating herself for what nearly transpired. She didn't want anyone else to know of her internal pain, preparing her guitar to drown out the sound of her shedding tears. At least she was alone, allowing her to blow eardrums to bits in peace.

Luan was skulking about the house, trying to make sure that she could find something strong enough to blackmail the lovers with. She had been in Lincoln's room, searching for good places to begin her surveillance, despite what she had in there, when she spotted Luna heading into a Lincoln occupied bathroom. Luan began filming, waiting for something to happen. Luna left the door open, creating the conditions that were prime for Luan. She witnessed Luna approach the curtains, appearing to make the attempt to open them before changing directions and leaving, guilt on her sister's face. Luan made sure she was out of her sister's sight line as Luna came down the hallway. Luan continued with her thoughts.

 _It certainly seems that I have some more competitors entering my arena_ , she turned to her camera, a grin settling upon her face. _Let's just make sure we eliminate them_ , a laugh joining her last thought. She moved out of Lincoln's room, before deciding she had a call to make to someone. She would make sure to remove any obstacles in her way to get to Lincoln.

Lincoln came out of his shower, hearing the music blare from Luna's room. It seemed to be filled with self-hate and sadness, almost as if the artist had done something awful. He wanted to see if all was good with her, yet the thought of going deaf deterred him from it. He continued walking to his room, wondering if he should learn sign language in case he had to talk with his older sister and her hearing was damaged. Then his thoughts turned to Lynn, making him ponder if he could still date her, if he would ever hold feelings for her. Something told him he did have feelings, but another told him it was just in his head, that he would never know love again. The war didn't end, even when he finally turned in for the night.

 **Author's Notes: Alright, well it seems that there is yet another. I wrote this prior to a lot of reviews, making sure everything was edited properly. If you are disappointed or think that I'm going to include all of his sister's, then I ask for you to bear with me. I hold no plans to throw any more sisters into the love mix in the near future, so please keep reading and wait for me to stack a very serious deck for all involved.**

 **Also, if you get my little references, then good for you. I will not stop you from pointing them out unless I say otherwise. So please, enlighten those who aren't in the know. I also hold plans to release some sort of poll or q and a after the release of the fifth chapter. Please participate so I can get a proper reading of what my readers want and where I can throw in some ideas should I need them. Thanks for reading.**

 **Update: I had to re-upload this chapter after it formatted wrong. I apologize for any inconvenience.**

 **Edit: Another story updated. On to the next one.**


	4. Game of Louds

**Please see AN at the end**

 _His alarm clock went off, telling him to join the land of the living. Lincoln smacked it, trying to end the awful sound. He was dreary-eyed, seeing double as his eyes took in the time. Five-thirty. He roused himself from his bed, a feeling of something different having laid its foundation in his mind. He remembered it was summer vacation. He knew he had turned off the alarm. Lincoln shuffled forth from his room. He checked Lynn's room, finding that no-one was within it. He moved towards Lily and Lisa's room. Still, no-one was on the other side. He went through each of his sisters rooms, greeting the lack of residents within them._

 _Lincoln knew something wasn't right about the situation. He had checked all of the rooms that were to have occupants, save for his parents room, and found not one soul. He heard the shower turn on, dreading whomever would be on the other side. He opened the door slowly, noticing that no-one was in the open._

 _"Hello?" he checked, ear ready to receive a reply. Silence. He inched toward the curtains of the shower, heart beating faster than he thought possible. He threw the curtains back, ill-prepared for the sight that he held before him. Lynn was laying in the tub naked, milky-eyed, pale, a corpse. He didn't see blood or any other sign of how she died. He stopped breathing, forcing him to try to gasp for air. His ears were assaulted by laughter, unable to discern where it was coming from. He recognized it as Luan, with more and more voices joining the abomination that was his experience. He looked into the mirror, looking at how he himself was dying without air._

 _Lincoln saw her body begin to move, sitting straight up. The body of his dead sister twisted itself to look at him, opening it's mouth to speak._

 _"Why?" it asked him in a voice that was slightly warped. "Why?" The body started to crawl out. "Why?" Slowly it reached him, putting an arm on his left leg. He felt like passing out from the lack of oxygen. "Why?" it begged, searching for an answer. "Why?" it repeated in an endless loop. He could only hear the question come out of its mouth, joining the chorus of laughter. He passed out, still being assaulted by the words and voices._

Lincoln's eyes shot open with him panting heavily. He felt like he had awoken from a dream in which he was falling, nearly hitting the ground before rousing. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, making damn sure he was unable to resume his sleep. He could see the vanguard of the sun rising through his window. The clock read six. He managed to calm down, his heart rate returning to normal. He lay there, staring at the ceiling, his mind starting to glaze over with sleep. He didn't want Mr. Sandman to visit him once more, his eyes fighting against the impending sleep. The eyes glazed over, letting him sleep without really sleeping.

Lincoln turned his head to see that it was eight-fifteen. _Might as well_ , he thought to himself, crawling out of bed. He moved like a zombie, such was his tiredness. He made it down to breakfast, finding that all of his sisters were enjoying the most important meal of the day. The adult table was packed with its normal attendants, forcing him to enjoy his breakfast at the kid table. He nearly ate his meal in the way a pig enjoys it. The lack of sleep played havoc, forcing him to shovel his food before he made his face enjoy some.

Lynn sat at the adult table, nearly done with her meal. She occasionally peeked at Luan from her spot, seeing each time that her sister was holding a grin. Neither spoke to the other after Lynn's date, leaving silence to fill the void in their voices stead. Luna seemed to be a wreck for some reason, from what Lynn could tell. It was like she had committed murder or was freaking out after not using some rubbers. It all seemed peculiar to her, seeing that only three of the total sisters were the odd ones out this fine morning. Luan finished prior to Lynn, taking her dishes to the sink. She left a moment later, scurrying to her room. Lynn hurried with the remainder of her breakfast, legging it so that she could talk to Luan without much worry of Luna overhearing anything.

She made it to the stairs, trying to hurry before she saw Luan leaving with some of her comedy gear.

 _Damn it, she has to be somewhere_ , Lynn silently cursed in her mind. She had one chance and now the next one was going to take forever to appear. Luan just moved past her, an air of smugness trailing behind. The smile seemed to have changed into one of victory. Lynn, now having lost her chance of getting an explanation, moved to the room she slept in. She might as well try to finish starting the day, preparing for all it had in store for her.

Luna barely finished her breakfast, moving to start on the dishes. She looked into the kitchen, spotting Lincoln. Her heart dropped ever so much further from its place. She couldn't even look at him without fear and self-hate hitting her system. She just played the events in the bathroom over and over in her mind, unable to believe what she almost did. But she had to do the dishes. It was her turn. An internal struggle of power began, over whether or not she could keep further tears from flowing in the open, right in front of her family, right in front of Lincoln. Her legs moved, but not of their own volition. Leaded feelings were making her feel heavy from it all, like she would fall through the floor of their house.

Luna still pressed onward, hoping her brother would simply ignore her. He didn't look up from the now empty bowl, focusing on the bottom with a stoner's gaze. She ran the water, prepping the dishes. He walked up and left his bowl right next to the sink, muttering a "Thanks" before wandering off. His voice alone mauled her heartstrings, making her battle that much worse.

Lincoln went back up, trying to see if he could get some more sleep in for the day. He lay back in bed, the thought and feeling of sleep settling in. Just the thought and feeling. No sleep chose to attack, leaving a state of peace without rest upon him. He lay there watching the ceiling, waiting for slumber to truly come. Nothing. He did see that time had passed while he waited. The clock read nine-twenty-six. With a sigh, he crawled back out. Nothing wanted to go his way today it seemed. He left, seeing if he could occupy himself with a little t.v. He arrived, spotting Lori enjoying a show. Well, "enjoy" is a bit too loose here. More like she was enjoying her phone, what with her face and hands glued to its bright, little screen.

He knew better than to take that as a sign he could change the channel. No, the death penalty wasn't for him. She did seem to be happier, possibly due to being back together with Bobby again. He sighed, choosing to soak in the sun rather than become a human pretzel. He went through the front door and sat on the steps, hearing Luna play in the garage. With nothing better to do, he set for where the music was coming from. Lincoln peeked in through the open garage door, spotting his sister strumming some sort of song. Luna didn't bother to sing along with the notes she was churning out.

Instead, misery was her company, standing by and providing her an audience. Lincoln didn't make his presence known, having chosen instead to watch his older sister play something depressing. His ears were amazed at the level of self-hatred that was cranked out. He stared, frozen. She finally stopped playing, having plucked the last note. Her face disappeared into her palms, forcing her brother out of his place of witness.

Luna was too busy wallowing to notice him approaching her, allowing for him to perform a sneak attack with a hug. She stopped shedding tears, barely able to process it all. He wrapped his arms around her, making an effort to comfort her. The exact opposite was achieved when he began his embrace. She cried even harder, the guilt driving ever farther into her heart. He waited for the tears to stop, hoping it wouldn't be long. Time passed at an unknown rate, what with the lack of devices to tell time in the garage.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked, patience running low. She finally looked at him, eyes beyond obliterated. Whatever makeup was on, was now running down her face. She couldn't just tell him that she was in the bathroom, ready to take a peep at his manhood whilst he showered the day before. She couldn't tell him that she loved him. No, she couldn't tell him a thing. She chose her next best option.

"I don't want to talk about it," she told him, trying to keep him from learning her secret.

"And just why not?" he pried, trying to use any and all tactics he could think of to see if she was in need of his help.

"Because I feel awful enough just having experienced it. I don't want to open that wound again," she reasoned, hoping he would be satisfied in his quest for knowing of her pain's cause. No dice.

"Luna, whatever it is, I want to help," he said, adding "so you can tell me or I'll follow you until I get my answer." She thought over his words, afraid of what would happen should he find her secret. A thought came to mind, letting her flesh it into a lie. _Better this than that_ , she told herself.

"I got heckled at my last performance," she lied, trying to throw him off the trail of her true reasons. He seemed hurt that someone would dare to harm what confidence she held as a performer.

"I think your music's pretty good," he complimented, hoping that it would bring her spirits up. She looked at his face, eyeing a smile rooted to his lips. This did bring her spirits up, if only marginally. Having seen her brighten up, he started to change directions from where the conversation was currently at.

"Say Luna, can I ask you something?" she looked at him with caution driving into her mind.

"Sure, link," she granted, praying that it wouldn't involve her and her feelings in some way.

"I just... I keep having these... nightmares that I don't know how to handle," he started, removing contact from his sister, "I keep worrying that they might be telling me something and I don't know how to stop them or do anything else with them." Luna was caught unawares at the admission.

"What are your nightmares about?" she wondered, hoping it wasn't something involving her. He marched onwards, only ever hesitating in the slightest.

"I... they... they involve Lynn and her dying, but," he trailed off before, resuming, "I keep seeing her die or having already died and there doesn't seem to be any way to stop her death." He felt awful for his admission, but he needed someone to talk to and he couldn't talk with his girlfriend. At least not without being told to not worry about it. Luna seemed to be stunned, stuck at an utter loss for words.

"And what goes on in these awful excuses for dreams?" she asked, praying that she wasn't the cause for it all.

"The night before I saw..." he paused, not wanting to reveal his ex-girlfriend as the culprit, fibbing just a little, "some shadow drown her, leaving me to watch as I was tied to a chair." Luna thought back to that morning, having heard him scream from his room. She was paying attention, waiting for him to start back up. "Then, last night, I dreamed that I found Lynn dead in the shower, just as if she were killed by something that didn't leave a mark." He seemed to be afraid, having opened up his fresh set of fears. Luna watched as he began to have fear spread across his face. "I better go," he said suddenly before leaving. She was too stunned to really stop him, let alone seek further information. She wanted to know why Lynn was being killed, but that would weigh evermore on her mind. She turned her focus back to the instrument she was using, and stared at it as she pondered all of her life's choices.

Ronnie Anne was in her room, debating a fierce battle of whether she should make any movements in the fragile ecosystem she had become a part of. She looked back to the call that Luan made to her the night before. The comedienne called, having a proposition for the grief-stricken girl. Ronnie Anne listened to all that was offered, hearing her out, but with no promises being made. Her thoughts delved to a level of darkness she never thought possible.

 _If I help Luan, then there's the chance that I can show Lincoln how stupid his decision was_ , she thought, the idea of vengeance cropping up. _Even so, what good would that do? We're never going to be back together_ , she countered, reasoning so as to keep from making an atrocious move. A sigh escaped her lips. _Should I warn Lincoln?_ The battle kept raging, tearing her apart repeatedly. _She did say that she would share him, but... I can't do something so depraved and heartless against Lincoln_. The thought circulated, letting her absorb it in its entirety. _Why am I considering this?_

Luan returned from her job, having entertained some kid for his birthday. It allowed her to plot further, even though the party was meant to be quite lively. She walked through the door, still dressed as a clown, a prop in one of her hands. The smile that was still rooted to her lips held properties that would make anyone fearful of her, should they bother to examine it thoroughly. Lincoln being all hers was reason enough to own such a smile. The steps were barely behind her when Lynn approached.

The door opened and both stepped into the vacant room. Luan sat in front of her mirror, taking off all of her costume.

"Hey, Lynn," she greeted, playing dumb to what Lynn was there for.

"Hi, Luan," Lynn replied, a touch of anger in her voice. "So, we went to that restaurant you suggested."

"Was it pleasant?" she said, still playing dumb.

"The food was, but we had to take it to go," she gave, the anger creeping in just a hint more.

"And why was that?" Luan continued with her feint of lack of knowledge.

"Oh, I don't know, probably because Lincoln had his first date with Ronnie Anne there," Lynn continued, fury now apparent in her voice. Luan finished the last of her makeup removal.

"Really?" Luan played, just barely showing her hand in the poker game that was their exchange. Lynn seemed to boil at the tone of voice that was being used.

"Yeah, and I can't help but feel you knew that beforehand," Lynn skewered, trying her hardest to keep as few people out of the loop of their exchange as possible. Luan just smirked.

"And so what if I did?" she continued to keep leaving her replies to Lynn in the form of questions. Lynn was livid with the direction of the conversation and the one steering it that way.

"Why?" Lynn sought.

"That's for me to know and you to never find out," was all that Luan delivered. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to." With that, Luan left, the Machiavellian smile present on her lips. Her younger sister stood there, both dumbfounded and full of rage. She knew Luan was pulling the strings behind it all, yet what proof did she have? She couldn't tell her parents about it for numerous reasons. Lincoln was out of the question since she didn't want to put anything on his plate. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. All she had for options was to simply play Luan's game and hope she won.

Lincoln worried that he had said too much to his sister, wondering if Lynn would kill him for what he had said. The panic that was hitting him came from many directions, forcing him into each to follow the panic. Suddenly it dawned on him. He started to think about why his older sister was crying. He knew that a heckler couldn't do that to her. No, he never heard anyone do such a thing to his sister, or if they did, she brushed it off as some sleazebag without a gram of talent. He continued in his line of thought, trying to reach the end of it. A hypothesis was suddenly forming. What if she was crying because... that was as far as he could get.

Luna came back to her shared room, her tears having stopped for awhile now. She felt a little better with the knowledge that her brother was so kind and sweet, trying to find her problem so he could fix it. She felt a bit worse at that, yet she changed from that thought to something of chiding herself, albeit for a semi-separate reason.

 _Why couldn't you just say that it was your time of the month_ , she yelled in her mind. That would've gotten him to leave or at least not try to comfort her. Nothing can change the past and she knew it. She had brought her guitar in, ready to sit down and inspect it for maintenance. She pulled out some special tools, wishing that something would go right for her today. The call for dinner reached across the house, summoning everyone to attend. She set all of her stuff down, leaving it to be taken care of when she got back.

Luna sat at the adult table, playing her part in the tense and weird atmosphere. She could see Lynn staring at her younger sister from across the table, almost as if she was trying to impale Luan with her gaze. The wrath could be felt dripping off of her. She chanced a peek at Luan from the left side of her vision, who seemed to be creating a smug air about her. Luna was able to tell that her depression added to it all. The Loud parents thought it best to see what all was happening to warrant such an air at the table.

"So," began their mother, "What did you girls do today?" She shifted her focus over to Lori. "Lori, I remember us telling you about no phones at the table." Lori was glued to her screen, only peering up when she heard talk about phones.

"But Bobby–," she tried.

"Bobby can wait," her father stated sternly. Lori sent one last text, turning the phone off since she couldn't trust herself with not touching it.

"Shall we try again?" their mother rhetorically asked.

"Well, I started looking into various colleges," she told her parents. After having graduated, she wanted to further her education, but the caveat to it all was that Bobby had to be nearby.

"That's good," their father commented. "Leni, what about you?"

"I tried looking for some place called 'Nowhere' but I can't find it anywhere," she claimed, sounding defeated. The rest of her family thought it would take a miracle for her to graduate.

"Okay, how about you Luna?" their mother directed. Luna was completely stumped for what to say before a lie came to the tip of her tongue. What choice did she have, in the grand scheme of things?

"I got booked someplace," she said, knowing that it was far from the truth.

"Good for you, honey," their mother complimented. "Luan?"

"I had to perform for a party," she said nonchalantly. This was true, but the rest of her day was completely left untouched.

"How about you Lynn?" their father queried.

"I was practicing," she said, her teeth nearly grinding. This was partly true, considering she was practicing to get information from Luan.

Things were different at the kid table. Lisa was still studying the twins, yet the study itself was eluding Lincoln's mind. He did want to know what she was looking for, but the interest he had in it was quite minimal. He focused on trying to find the answer to all that was torturing him. Whether it was Luna's depression, Luan's... whatever, and Lynn's love, he had no real answers. Maybe tonight he would get whatever he needed to seek the truth of it all. Dinner ended rather quickly, allowing everyone to do their own things before bed.

Luna returned to her guitar, starting her efforts of maintenance all over again. Luan came in, seating herself on a beanbag with some sort of book. Luna figured it was some sort of novel relating to comedy, not bothering to pay attention.

"So, what were you doing looking through my tapes?" Luan grilled, not moving her eyes from the book. Luna made a face before it hit her, realizing what she was talking about.

"I wasn't looking through your tapes," she denied, praying Luan wouldn't go any further.

"Well, you see," Luan continued, still staring at the book, "It's just that I saw some tapes were moved around and that I also have the tape of you looking through them." Luna paused in her work.

 _Shit!_ She cursed. She didn't want Luan to continue. "Why do you bring it up?"

"You see, I also saw you watch a particular tape," Luan let sink in, allowing Luna to feel the full weight of what was to come, "And you seemed to have changed since watching it."

 _Fuck fuck fuck_ , Luna panicked.

"Which tape was it Luna?" she asked with some level of fake interest, ennui adorning her voice. Luna felt her throat become cotton, barely able to breathe, let alone talk. Luan didn't enjoy waiting, instead choosing to finish for her. "Was it the one where Lincoln and Lynn kissed?" Luna was losing her cool, opting for damage control.

"So what if it was?" she told her defiantly. Luan just stared at her book.

"You love him too, don't you?" Luan interrogated. Victory was tainting her voice. She chose to look up from the item she was reading. Luna was blushing, trying and failing to hide it, her hatred for herself expanding. A Cheshire smile grew for Luan. "That's okay," she said returning her attention to her book. Luna was horrendously worried, becoming mortified on top of it all.

"Well...," she searched for the proper words to fit the situation she had found herself in.

"That's quite alright," Luan told her sister. Luna seemed a bit confused. "Just make sure you don't get in my way." Something was off about that sentence.

"What?" Luna wondered. Luan was still keeping her Cheshire-Machiavellian hybrid of a grin.

"I simply said to make sure you don't get in my way," she responded, turning the page as she did so.

"And what are you going to do if I ignore you?" Luna challenged, trying to make any semblance of sense of it all.

"Well, I was simply going to leave you alone but now I think you'll work better under me," Luan opined, vicious thoughts circling in her head.

"How're you going to do that, huh," Luna challenged. She set everything down, save for her guitar, leaving it across her lap.

"It's very simple: I'll show Lincoln everything about you and your feelings for our only brother," she threatened, still keeping a cheery tone.

"Screw you, I'm going to tell Lincoln about this," Luna warned, moving her guitar to the side, leaving the bed. She barely held the doorknob when Luan spoke.

"I failed to mention that Mom and Dad will be shown this evidence as well," she foretold, still having not looked up from her book. "I think our whole family would enjoy being shown what you tried to do in the bathroom to Lincoln." Luna was pale, rivaling Lucy in color. Her hand was on the doorknob, ready to turn to let her out. She relinquished her grip. "That's a good girl."

Lucy was in the vents, observing the exchange. She saw it all, even heard it all. Lucy had to get to Lynn with what was going on. There wasn't a snowball's chance in Hell that she would allow unprecedented evil like this to run rampant.

 **Author's Notes: Well then, that got very dark very fast. I am working on chapter five, so that'll be out sometime soon. The reason why this was uploaded a bit later than the other chapters was partly because I decided to get lost in the province of Skyrim once more. No, it's not SE, sadly. However, that said, I will make a poll after chapter five goes up, so I do ask you to take part in the polling. There might be some further information in the next instalment, so watch out for that. I am asking that you, dear readers, leave reviews for me so that I can get a read on what everyone's thoughts are about my writings.**

 **I cannot stress how much I want to know in how people are viewing my style and what improvements could be made. I know there are plenty of you who seem to be okay with it, but even if you aren't, tell me. So, in short, leave me reviews, PM me so I can discuss items of interest you have, and to keep reading.**

 **P.S.: I would like to give a big thank you to The Loud Author. They have inspired me to write my own stories, especially since they have written great stories. I seriously encourage you to read their stuff.**

 **Edit: And another one. Soon, it'll be completely done.**


	5. A House Divided

Lucy tossed and turned in her bed, nearly throwing everything on it to the floor along with herself. She saw and heard all that was more terrifying to her than she would ever admit, let alone have anyone know of. Luan was plotting against Lynn, dragging Luna into the very pits she had become a part of. But the true horror of it all was that Lucy was unable to warn Lynn without attracting the ire of her older sister. Thus was her dilemma: to give the information to her older roommate and hope nothing bad happened or to wait for the right time to give the information, hoping nothing awful happened in the meantime.

She wondered how Lynn was able to sleep with her turning so. Maybe she had taken enough hits to her head to leave some shred of brain damage that was housed permanently in her skull, allowing for the blissful ignorance of the world outside her dream realms. It felt odd for her to feel such terror, granted that she was always stuck in a dark and scary world of her own, nothing providing so much as a speck of dread. Yet here she was, fearing the very day as her sisters were losing themselves to whatever fueled their desires. She stayed in her ever changing state of awareness, the passage of time unwavering.

Lynn rose from her peace, stretching to allow for a better awakening. She saw Lucy looking a tad worse for wear than she usually did. It made her wonder pointlessly, seeing as how her sister had disappeared in record time when she blinked.

 _Time for a decent meal_ , she told herself mentally, jumping down to join her family for breakfast. She passed down the steps, checking if Luan was going to push her in some attempt to be petty. She still didn't understand a damn thing about her motives, leading to further contempt for Luan. The table revealed no further evidence for her answer nor did it seem that it would do so. She simply watched her sister enjoy some sort of tiny victory, unsure of what it was about.

Lucy knew what it was about. She knew every detail concerning her older sister's victory. What stopped her was that Luan had eyes everywhere; the walls were her ears, the air her web. Although, Lucy was able to effectively dodge most of Luan's surveillance, she had been caught a few times, remembering Lincoln's video to further her point and thoughts. She managed to learn how to avoid the system ever so much further, but paranoia was stuck in her head. Whether it was healthy or otherwise was beyond her. No matter the answer, it would always feel unhealthy.

Lincoln didn't bother observing Lucy and her internal war. He ate his breakfast, musing at the idea of something being off in his family. He knew something wasn't right, barring the relationship he had with his older sister. His fingers ran through his hair, aiding in his thinking. He had those dreams, leaving a rather vivid imprint despite his knowing they were just dreams. Lincoln dropped his spoon, abandoning it in the bowl of cereal he had emptied. His dreams from last night seemed empty, yet the sinister overtones were present. He called it quits, standing to rid himself of his tableware.

Lucy followed suit, trying to leave things as mere coincidence with their trip. She saw him make his way upstairs, trying her best to create a fast pace without creating the look of her trying to follow him. She caught him, succeeding at her task.

"Hey, Lincoln," she called, putting her plan into action. He turned, the light glaze of his inner machinations disappearing from his eyes.

"What do you need?" he signaled, hoping it was something trifling.

"I just needed you to check out some of my poems," she lied, hoping that he would buy it. He did.

"Alright," he agreed, praying that it would allow him to rest his weary head and try to figure out his problems. He even began thinking about all of his life's decisions that led up to his time within the here and now.

"Right this way," she ushered, praying that the odds would fall into her favor with her plan. He moved into her shared room, Lynn still at the adult table. She handed him the book she kept, filled with her thoughts and writings. Lucy made sure that the proper page was selected for his viewing pleasure. His eyes were greeted with the following:

 _Don't say a word. We're being watched and you need to keep acting like you're reading my poems. I have your favorite Ace Savvy comic. I'll explain everything later. Meet me at the tree in the backyard if you want it and answers just before noon. Hand back the book and pretend like you just read a poem from me._

Lincoln was beyond stunned. He could feel his very heart nearly beat out of his chest as he read the lines. Rage built, replacing itself with fear, ceaselessly cannibalizing each other. She had his favorite comic hostage, the thought foreign in his mind. He couldn't risk it being hurt in any way, shape, or form. What choice did he have? He followed the instructions to a T, keeping the best poker face he could muster.

"That was a really good poem, Lucy," he fibbed, playing her little game. There was no true malice behind it all; quite the opposite in fact. Yet, he knew none of what marched through her head. He knew not of the gears spinning, the hands cranking them. Lucy knew, in spite of how little it was. The conspiracy of anguish for her brother and sisters was enough to rally her against the conspirator. But Lincoln was meant to be out of the loop for the time being.

He was still reeling from the revelation of her words, desperately piecing the little information available together. He played it cool until he entered his room, dropping whatever act he had when he walked into his sanctuary. He still kept it bottled from his mouth, debating and wrestling with his inner struggles on the inside.

Lynn marched into her shared room not too long after her boyfriend left, missing all the action. Lucy had finished preparing for her plan for her older sister.

"Lynn, could you read this please?" Lucy begged, marking her page.

"Why?" Lynn nearly snapped, unintentionally coming off with the wrong tone due to the wrath that fueled her waking moments.

"I just wanted your opinion on some of my latest work," she fibbed, making an effort to not sound hurt. She just wanted to keep her older sister safe and tried to take into account what might be bothering Lynn so.

"Alright," Lynn agreed, making the effort to to rectify what wrong she may have committed. She grabbed the book, reading the marked page. Her eyes met the very words Lucy intended.

 _Not a word out loud. Meet me by the backyard tree in 30 minutes. Urgent. Anyone asks, say you're practicing. Hand this back and say it was good._

Lucy disliked the idea of forcing her siblings into lying or playing along with her games. It made her feel like... she loathed the name. Even if it was well-intended, it was still the same as Luan pulling Luna's strings, turning her very sister into her own Mr. Coconuts, minus the one she owned prior.

Lynn read it, left wanting at what would make her sister demand such from her. She played along, wishing for it to be related to Luan.

"It was nice, Luce," she lied. It felt bad coming off the tongue, even if it was harmless. Lying was something she avoided, what with her beliefs and how she was raised. Irony began striking home for her. Lucy played it off, keeping up appearances for Big Sister. She promptly left, choosing to wait at the tree so as to stagger their meet in an attempt at keeping Luan in the dark. She did make the conscious decision to grab a towel from the bathroom, but somebody was occupying it, forcing her to head straight for the tree in the backyard. She would still wait there, even if it meant sitting in the dew.

Luna still sat at the table, unaware of the lack of people around her. Luan was there, slowly eating the last bits of her breakfast. This did nothing to console Luna, seeing how Luan was her puppeteer. She still hated her life, the reasons multitudinous. Her love for Lincoln was her ultimate downfall. If only... the very idea played on an endless loop. If only she had shown these feelings earlier, maybe things would've worked out better. If only she had waited for Lincoln to finish his shower then she would've been clear of this mess. If only.

Yet here she was, Luan's new dummy, ready to do her master's bidding. Fury was her companion, depression her friend, and anguish her company. Misery, when all of these items were combined, was the very thing she felt. She began plotting, planning to bring Luan down with minimal risk and maximum reward. Nothing presented itself, allowing scenarios of her fall from grace if she brought Luan with her. Luna wasn't the type to aim for a pyrrhic victory, but if worst came to pass... it unsettled her. She had time. All the time in the world to rid herself of the shackles she was forced to wear.

Luan was finished with her breakfast, going through separate plans for her offensive against all that stood between her and Lincoln. Ronnie Anne was out of the way for the time being, Luna being at her beck and call. Only Lynn seemed to be left. If reading her book on statecraft had taught her anything, it was to be prepared for a new opponent to arise. She knew the current teams, but she feared any new players that would come from nowhere. The list was shortening the more she thought, leaving only one name that could bring her to ruin: Lucy.

A smirk crossed onto her lips at the notion of her younger sister being able to overthrow her. All she had to do was keep an eye on her and all would be right with the world. If Lucy started to become too powerful, then she would demolish her, razing her with a mighty storm of Hellfire. She grew weary of sitting at the table, moving to clear her dishes. It was her turn today, if memory served.

Ronnie Anne made a choice at long last. With all the debating and fighting within her, she finally made a choice in the war over Lincoln. She shuffled to get ready for the day, trudging along with each step of her routine. No-one was home, her family having left for all of their jobs. Bobby still held his job as a limo driver, miraculously enough since he was constantly working new jobs.

Lynn met with Lucy outside, just as she requested. It was a most queer request, given all that she had known of her sister. The words that were written in Lucy's hand seemed to be enough to startle Lynn, something she never thought possible.

"You wanted to speak with me, Luce?" Lynn asked, having arrived at the spot she was told to head to.

"Keep your voice down and face away from the house," Lucy commanded. Lynn was confused, but obeyed nonetheless. "I called you here because your life might be in danger," she revealed. Lynn lost her breath, barely able to form some coherence of words.

"What?"

"I said, someone might be out to get you," she repeated, worry having clung to her monotonous voice. The disbelief still rang through Lynn.

"And who would be willing to take me on?" she replied, forcing faux bravado into her tone.

"Luan's the one foolish enough to take you on." Lynn recoiled internally. The proof was there, but it wasn't condemning enough.

"How so and why?" Lynn delved, trying to make sense of what was being thrown at her.

"I was in the air vents last night and...," she paused, searching for the right words. "I overheard Luan while she was talking to Luna. It seems that Luan is in love with Lincoln, along with... Luna." Lynn's heart skipped a beat. The severity of the situation was easily detected in Lucy's voice. "Right now, Luna is under her control because of video evidence. If this is true, then you better be careful when taking her on." Lynn felt like she would suffer a heart-attack. Luna and Luan were in love with her boyfriend. Luna was also being manipulated because of video evidence. What about her? What if the same were true for her as with Luna with a video?

Lynn had to find that video. She had to recover it and leave no trace of its footage behind. The large question of "how" remained. How could she keep herself safe from suffering the same fate as her older sister? Never mind that; how could she use this against Luan? Maybe something else would present itself.

"Lucy, what do you think is the best approach to it all?" she queried. Her sister seemed stumped when an idea came about.

"You have to sleep with Lincoln." Lynn was rather surprised. It seemed to come up as a fantasy once in awhile, but to actually go through with it? Was this the tactical edge she was looking for? No matter where she started in her quest for a different line of attack, it always led to the same conclusion: she had to sleep with Lincoln. Luan would be furious, leading to mistakes in her planning. The moral dilemma rose when she thought more about it. Would sleeping with him just to mess with Luan be good for their love? She would use him like some pawn, becoming just as bad as the one she sought to bring down. This was going to need some time.

Luan was washing the dishes, humming to herself as more plans went through her brain. Luna was still within earshot, waiting in the way a dog waits for its master. Luan then stumbled upon something she rather enjoyed.

"Luna?" she beckoned, summoning her older sister to the sink.

"Yes?" Luna replied.

"Any chance you could soundproof the basement?" she inquired, a sly grin forming.

"I guess, but it might take a good few hours. Why?" she responded, her want of knowledge somewhat insatiable.

"I just want the room soundproofed. That's all," Luan gave, leaving her intentions very well hidden. Luna still sat uneasy with all of her affairs in their current state, yet... a plan of her own came to mind. She very well doubted that Luan was able to tell if a room was well proofed against sound, letting her take advantage and root her out to the family. Whatever the cost was, it would be much lighter in the long run when compared to the allowance of her sister's continual reign. She grinned in her head before traveling to do as she was instructed.

The passage of time ticked, letting Lincoln become aware of when he had to meet Lucy. He could only pray that his comic was still okay. He even spent time looking for it just to check if she was telling the truth on the matter. She had. Now was the moment of truth. He went to where she told him to meet her, fear filling his very being.

"Thanks for meeting me. Now, keep your face from the house and your voice low," she instructed, telling him what she told Lynn at their meeting.

"What do you want, Lucy?" he asked, anxiety bathing him.

"It's simple. You and Lynn appear to be in danger," she dropped rather bluntly. He was left speechless, standing in wonderment at her words hitting his ears. "And the way I know is I overheard Luan threatening Luna. She seems to be in love with you, almost as if it's an obsession." He hardly believed it. He felt as if Lynn had confessed her love all over again. He didn't know how to handle it, whether he should simply confront his older sister or if he should go on some sort of witch hunt. He could smell the sulfur in the air.

"How in danger is Lynn?" he finally spurted after struggling for the right words. Lucy looked at the ground before her gaze returned to his general direction.

"I think it's massive, yet I can't rightly say what Luan has in store for her should she take some sort of revenge, but her life might be at risk." Lucy stood from the ground before leaving one last thing in his hands. "Whatever happens, don't blame Luna. She seems to be a pawn, forced to do Luan's bidding. Also, your comic is under my pillow, completely unharmed." He was glad to know his comic was alright, but stressed out after knowing that someone in his family was in deep danger with another member of his large family causing the danger. What fresh Hell had he entered?

Luna finished her job in the basement, carefully setting things up so as to hoodwink Luan about her intent. She felt a nagging bit of her try to force her into making sure no-one could get hurt and suppressed it, thinking over and over how if someone was to be hurt, then she wouldn't be at fault, seeing how any noise would reach the family. It was a price to pay, but then again, so was actually doing the job in full. She left the room, satisfied with how she was able to remove Luan from her position of tyranny with as little damage to her and anyone else her sister hurt along the way.

Lincoln entered into Lynn's room after a quick rap without giving time for a response, feeling the need to talk with her about the danger they faced. He saw that she was laying in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She had been mulling over what Lucy told her, still finding no alternatives. They either went nowhere or left her in a corner, stuck at the mercy of Luan.

"Lynn?" he called. She snapped out of her private world, intrigued to find him in her room.

"Need something?" she obliged in response.

"I... think it might be better to take a walk and talk for what I have to say," he stumbled, Lucy's words clanging in his mind.

"Same," she said before jumping down from her bed. He was puzzled at her choice of words, brushing it aside while he prepared for his talk. They left the house, ready to take on their verbal adventure. Hesitance had never left each of their heads nor their tones.

"I just think that we need to be more careful around Luan," he concluded to his explanation of all that was beknownst to him. Lynn listened and gifted her own notes on the subject, each hoping that Luan wasn't bothering to stalk them. They were constantly searching around them, paranoid of every person and place they passed by.

"Even if we're more careful, she won't stop her pursuit of us," Lynn countered. "I feel like we should go to her directly and fix the problem ourselves." He shook his head at this point she was taking an effort to make.

"So how do we get the evidence to build against her?" he started his reason. "She holds a lot of power so long as she wields those tapes. In what way do we have a chance to be rid of her?" She looked away, figuring out the solution to his proposed problem. He kept going. "Then, on top of that, how do we proceed with weeding her out? We can't tell mom and dad because we'd have to risk exposing our relationship to them, let alone recruit our sisters to aid us for a variety of reasons. How do we stop her without running any risks?" Lynn moved her mouth over to his right ear.

"The only way I can think of to get rid of her is... is...," she fumbled, not wanting to risk any chance of turning him away from her, "is to sleep together." The words, awkward as they felt exiting her mouth, struck their own personal chords with him. She moved from his ear, spotting the blush that accompanied his expression. She felt one hit her as well. He looked away, hiding with failure to succeed. His eyes were wide. He considered this to occur at some point in the future, not able to entertain the idea for the thought of even less than a week from their moment in time.

"Why do you suppose that?" he forced with a lump forming in his throat.

"Because it'll force her hand, letting her show her true colors to our family," she replied. He seemed to buy it.

"Alright well, I guess if it keeps you from getting hurt, then whatever it takes," he told her in earnest. He grabbed her hand and they walked a little more, not wishing to return home quite yet.

Ronnie Anne rang the doorbell, her heart beating steadily faster. She started to worry if her choice was wrong or if she should leave well enough alone. Luna answered the door, surprised at the young girl standing before her and surprising Ronnie Anne as well.

"Can I help you?" Luna inquired courteously.

"I... is Lincoln home?" she stuttered, the shock quickly wearing off. Luna turned around before shouting.

"Oi! Is Lincoln here?" The sisters gave replies that added up to a simple "no". Luna turned her focus back to the guest. "Doesn't seem like it? Why?"

"Oh," Ronnie Anne sounded disappointed at her news. "I just wanted to talk with him real quick. Any idea when he'll be back?" Luna shook her head, leading to further disappointment for Ronnie Anne.

"If you want I can tell him what you wanted to say," Luna proffered. The younger girl shook her head at the offer, politely turning it down.

"I think it best if I kept it between him and I," she reasoned. She gave a polite departure, turning herself to head home. Luna shrugged before closing the door, still praying on the inside for a swift end to Luan's terror.

 _Goddamn it!_ Ronnie Anne silently cursed to herself. _I try and help him out and he isn't even home. Argh! Why is it that when– Damn it!_ She was unable to think clearly, such was her frustration. She chose his side, wanting to keep him safe from his sister, even if it meant she was helping his new girlfriend. She could deal with that later and in a more humane way.

Not too long after Ronnie Anne left, the young couple arrived home. They had been talking it over about how they would make it seem convincing to their family that she could do as Lucy suggested in a manner that created the ripe circumstances. Unable to agree on anything, Lynn simply thought it best to sneak into his room after everyone went to bed. He hated it, but what other option was there? All that was left to do now was wait for night to fall. They went their separate ways, tending to other parts of the house.

Luan tended to her film archive, dusting and checking if all was where it should be. She went through the ones she had hidden for blackmail purposes, seeing them all in their rightful place. Oh, how fun it was to be so powerful. Her opponents were in some form of disarray, her path to Lincoln nearly clear. How could she not enjoy herself? Luna walked in after Luan was finished with her job.

"Is the basement suitable?" the younger sister interrogated.

"Yes, it should be up to snuff," she replied with slight hesitation. Luan didn't notice.

"Good. You've done you're job, so I guess I can reward you," she informed her. Luna felt a lump in her throat. She knew what she had done to sabotage her younger sister, but she didn't know if her sister knew. Luna forced a poker face, wishing for something pleasant. "I do believe that you can have the first taste of Lincoln's love juices," she finished with a smile. Time froze. Everything started to break down in her world. All known laws of physics stopped working. Anything that was instantly became non-euclidean.

 _What?_ was all she could process. Had Luan really said as she heard? No way. It just couldn't simply exist in any possible way, whether in this universe or an alternate one. What was Luan thinking? Surely there was some sort of catch to it all, right? With all she had gathered in her time with Luan, there was more to this picture. Time began to rouse from its standstill. She had to act fast.

"Thank you, Luan," she gratefully acted. She was honored to be the first, but it was something she didn't want because it was presented to her; rather, she wanted it more because Lynn was no longer with Lincoln or even with the express permission from Lynn, something she doubted to ever happen. Despite all of the events surrounding her, she still didn't want it due to her faith. Still, she had to put on a mask for her puppeteer. _Soon_ , she thought to herself. _Soon_.

 **Author's notes: Alright, sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I hope it was satisfying to read as a follow-up from the previous one. I am posting a poll after this goes up for the title of my next lengthy story after this one. I will also be starting a forum but I'm not quite sure when. I am thankful for the amount of traffic this received, so thanks for the 3,000+ views. I am writing a one-shot at the request of someone, so hopefully that'll get done soon. I do hope you enjoy this and join in on the nest chapter.**

 **Edit: And another chapter is up. Let's move on to the next.**


	6. Loud Night

"Yes, I do think such a reward is fitting," Luan finished her thought. Luna was numb, feeling slowly returning to her body. Luan was keeping her grin, the sultriness evident. The air was becoming thicker with all implications being thrown about. Finally did those sacred words pierce the veil of their interaction.

"Kids! Dinner's ready!" shouted their mother. Every last child emerged from the woodwork to enjoy the day's last meal. Lynn came from her room, spotting Luan heading down the stairs. Her heart beat in hatred until she spotted Luna following her, forcing the hatred to metamorphose into pity. She pursued them to the adult table, taking her own place. Dinner came out, smelling quite delectable.

Lincoln was in his own spot, his mind prowling about. He was still working out when the best time for Lynn to come into his room would be, referencing and cross referencing everyone's typical sleep patterns. The real variable was if Lily would be asleep all through the night. This was the sister he had to be wary of for sleep given how she loved to stir in the wee hours of the morning. He ate mindlessly, on autopilot the whole meal. Lucy was privy to his entire plan via Lynn. She assumed that he was eating without thought, checking his glazed eyes to confirm her suspicions.

She was more interested in what Lisa was doing, observing that she was going through some notes on the dark child. They seemed to be observing each other. Lisa was undeterred, scribbling away in the name of science. Lincoln finally concluded his plan with scheduling, seeing how an hour after lights went out, he could let Lynn in. Now he devoted his brain power to plotting a path that would keep her from hitting any creaking boards or bumping into a hidden object. Her door didn't lie that far from his own, but he planned ahead like he always did.

The meal went on as per usual, minus the behind the scenes of family politics. Luan was plotting, Luna waiting for her master, and Lynn waiting to react to whatever was thrown her way. They cleaned up, preparing for a little free time before bed. Each member left their respective table, getting in a little more of what they wished to do. Lincoln went back to his room, mentally preparing for his busy night. Lynn went back to hers to do the same, feeling a little off from the peace Luan held at the table.

She wanted to extend a hand to help Luna, but didn't. She wasn't sure if Luna was brainwashed or not, let alone if she could be trusted in her coup against Luan. It broke her heart to know Luan was such a monster. But that was a problem that could be addressed later. Now was the time for preparations. She never visited an adult website intentionally nor did she really wish to. Lynn thought about looking at one to see what he might like to do, but it was a little difficult to visit one. With a large family, she couldn't outright look for it without someone noticing. She shook the idea away. Maybe things would happen naturally and that's how she wanted it.

Lincoln delivered a quick, low message to Lynn after heading up to take refuge in his room just to make a short stop, letting her know when to come and how to get there. The time came for the family to sleep, crawling into their beds. Lynn and Lincoln counted the seconds, waiting for sleep to visit the household in near unanimity. He peeked over to his clock, spotting that it was a moment shy of the agreed upon time. He was still preparing himself for the ultimate of taboos. His heart beat at a rapid pace, him trying his hardest to make it slow down. His door creaked open, showing Lynn in her usual nightwear.

"You still up?" she investigated, unsure of what to do if he had drifted in his wait for her.

"Yeah, I'm still here," he told her, moving to turn the lamp on his desk on. She shut the door, trying to hurry before he leaked the light to the rest of the house. The light, though low, blinded him, forcing him to squint until he could look around more properly. She, too, was affected, if only slightly. She looked quite lovely in the low light in his opinion. The air seemed to have taken on molassesesque properties. He was forcing all doubts and nervousness down, hoping to look like he knew what he was doing.

Lynn saw his efforts, even with him trying his utmost to suppress what she, too, felt. It was nearly comical, bringing a smile to her lips. He saw it and felt more nervous. He could tell she was just as afraid as him, not forcing it all down her throat to make for bravado. It was rare for him to ever see her start doubting her choices, with her carrying on with them anyways.

"Are you still sure about this?" he queried, not sure if she had changed her mind. He wanted what was best for her, not wanting to force her to do something she wouldn't do on her own. She looked away, stepping over to his chair to sit, staring at the floor once she was off her feet. He still stood waiting for an answer, willing to carry out her request.

"Have you ever kissed a girl, Lincoln?" she asked out of nowhere. He took a seat on his bed, looking at the sister who sat across from him.

"Well, I did kiss Ronnie Anne a few times," he replied, unsure of where it was heading. She looked a little surprised, having forgotten when he told his sisters about the bully and they told him to kiss her. She slouched a little further in her chair, gazing at the floor.

"Certainly more experienced than I am," she uttered with a single chuckle. He still couldn't get a proper read on the atmosphere. She moved her gaze from the floor to him, comfort replacing almost all of her jitters. "I've never dated anyone before. I didn't know why but I think I do now." She was smiling. A good indicator for Lincoln into her own inner dialogue. He seemed to relax a little more. "My only worry is...," she paused, a blush planting itself upon her cheeks, "that I might not be good enough." He heard this, wondering what she meant before it hit him. A blush appeared for him too, forcing his eyes to look at the ground. Her blush merely grew hotter and hotter.

"It's alright," he spoke, still looking at the floor before he maneuvered his head back up. "I have the same problem." She heard these words, fascinated that he was in the same boat as her.

"But what about–," she tried.

"Nothing happened," he interrupted, having some foresight as to the rest of her inquiry. She was amazed at his honesty, considering the current situation.

"Now, are you sure you want to go through with this?" he asked again. He worried that things might not ever be the same in their family, worried that if things went south it would be all his fault. He wanted to make sure that this was their best option. She even felt the same way in all of his concerns, brushing past them to make sure to remove Luan from her position of power and tyranny. She grabbed his hands and looked deep into his eyes, inching ever closer until she reached his left ear.

"Does this answer your question?" she whispered into it, giving him no time to reply as she wrapped her lips around his in a passionate embrace, moving to wrap her arms around his neck. He was startled, not expecting it so suddenly. His heart fluttered, not wanting to settle any time soon. She seemed hesitant, unable to shake the guilty feeling she had in the back of her mind. She still felt like she was Luan with the corner she had been backed into. She was using him, even if he was alright with it, making the guilt stay.

Lincoln had never known of such passion, wishing for it to last forever. Time moved too slow to be felt, letting his wish come true, at least in part. He felt a parting in her lips, her tongue migrating to his mouth. He greeted it, tentatively at first, becoming fast friends with it. They wrestled, going from one mouth to the other in a sort of game of tug of war. Eventually did they part, panting for air. He saw that she looked even prettier after their kiss, almost as if the light changed, changing her with it.

She was gasping for air, thrilled at what she had done. She wanted more of it, sucking the air into her lungs faster just to resume. She kissed him once more, the two of them laying back on the bed. This was just as good as the first, if not better. She was very excited by it all, her body and his beginning to show it in shared emotions. Any doubts in her mind slipped away, leaving only Lincoln for her to think about. She felt her heart beat a wild tune, her feelings lining up with it quite perfectly.

They broke a second time, reeling from their activity. He was enjoying it, she was loving it. She threw her shirt off, showing him the bra that rested underneath. He was _really_ starting to show his excitement for her, leaving a tent in his briefs. She didn't notice it particularly, choosing to return to their kissing. She loved it all, wanting to go further. This session didn't last too long, with her leaving so she could remove her bra. It came off, showing the small mounds of breasts it supported.

He never knew of what was under her bra before, giving him some satisfaction in his lust of knowledge and now her. He looked at them, unsure of what to do. She got really self-conscious when she saw him staring with no seemingly positive reaction.

"Their beautiful," he muttered in amazement. She felt better with him having complimented them.

"You can touch them if you want," she said, sensuality lightly present in her tone. He mindlessly grabbed them with gentleness, so as to not hurt her, feeling the softness of her chest. This made her feel that much more exhilarated, wanting her brother even more so than before. She couldn't move, not wanting to leave her newfound pleasure. She moaned, biting her lip to try to be quiet so as to keep the family from hearing a thing, a feeling of wetness creating itself in her panties.

Luan watched the goings-on in her brother's room. Her blood boiled, wrath nearly present on her skin like sweat. She was watching via a camera she'd set up in his room, trying to make sure to dig up any and all evidence for her to be rid of Lynn. Daggers came from her glare, stabbing Lynn endlessly. She wanted to turn away, wanted to pretend it was nothing in her world, but, just like a car crash, she couldn't turn away. She mindlessly dug her nails into her palms, the strength increasing with each moment she stared at the couple.

Lincoln stopped fondling Lynn's breasts, worried he was hurting her. She looked at him, still in a state of ecstasy.

"Why'd you stop?" she almost whined. He looked confused.

"I thought I was hurting you," he sheepishly admitted. She laughed a little.

"No, no, that was more amazing than anything I've ever done in my life," she gave in a mix of euphoria and lustful ecstasy. He looked embarrassed, thinking how he had screwed up. "Don't worry about it. There'll be more time for that later," she slyly told him. She then removed the red shorts she was wearing, showing off the matching panties for her bra. These disappeared as well, presenting Lincoln with everything. He swallowed, still in a haze from their forbidden acts. She observed his packaged love for her, smiling with hints of it being sultry. She gave him another kiss, pulling down his briefs as she did so. She looked at him one last time.

"I think it's time," she whispered, slowly lowering herself onto him. He could feel the inches move by, his mind blown apart with the brand new experiences. She stifled her cry of pleasure after putting all of him in her. He snapped from his pleasure, concern trekking across his face. She saw it, dismissing it as nothing. She moved up and down, at a snail's pace first, picking up speed with each move of her hips. He thrust when he felt it best, moving in time with her hips. She was in a constant state of bliss, her lust fulfilled with the night's events. She moved his hands to her breasts, adding more to their state of union.

She could feel it. He could feel it. They had become one in their intimacy, nearly able to merge into one being.

"Lynn, I think I'm..." he struggled to finish the sentence.

"That's okay. Just... finish with me," she told him, her mind going blank with the incoming finish of their closeness. She moved in to kiss him, making it a challenge to be better than before. She didn't know how else to stifle their inevitable noises, timing it so that they wouldn't wake anyone up. At long last, they achieved a massive climax, the sensations orgasmic. Their hairs stood on end with excitement. Their minds cleared, disintegrating all thoughts. They could think only of the experience, still holding their last kiss. She broke from it, an orgasmic smile on her lips.

"Wow," he said with a low voice, stunned from their act. He held her close. Lynn still hadn't broken them apart. He remembered the convulsions of her walls, she enjoying his seed entering her. If this was true happiness, then he wanted more of it. Tentatively, she moved off of him, rolling to his right side.

"Wow," she repeated. She had just done something she never imagined would be possible. It was surreal, leaving her to ponder if she was on another world.

"I think I know why people say 'on cloud nine'," he chortled.

"If that's what it's called, then that's where we are," she conversed. The waves of euphoria started to leave, replaced with a sudden loss of energy. "Oh man. I didn't know you could feel so tired from this," she yawned.

"Nor did I," he commented. Lynn turned to give him a quick peck, followed by a "Goodnight" before turning over. He rolled over, returning her goodnight with one of his own. He wrapped his left arm around her, holding her.

"I love you, Lynn," he whispered before closing his eyes. She grabbed the arm and held it, happy with her lot in life.

Luan was furious with her own allotment. She bore witness to their congress. She had managed to draw blood with how hard she dug her nails into her hand, her detestation and odium for her younger sister driving out all other emotions. There was no other way she would feel satisfaction, not until Lynn had paid for her heinous crime. Blackmail wasn't satisfying for a punishment. No, something faster and worse. She discarded every plan to be rid of Lynn, moving a particular one up instead. She moved from her spot of observation, going to wake Luna up.

"Oh, Luna," she called in a singsong voice after removing Luna's headphones. She was by her sister's side, waking her. "Come on, Luna, I need you to wake up."

"What do you need?" Luna asked after having been woken, her dreariness present.

"Well, I need some help with something," she told her. This was going to be a good night indeed.

Ronnie Anne tossed about. She tried to alert her ex earlier about Luan's plans. She didn't bother with phones, figuring they would be bugged or watched. She was uneasy, not wanting to leave anything to fate. Her dreams created the various representations of her earlier actions, giving her all sorts of pleasantries for her vain efforts. She had tried sleeping after waking twice, unable to do so.

A light turned on, accompanied by a voice.

"Wake up, Lincoln," it called. He obliged it, narrowing his eyes to adjust to the light. He was back in his underwear. This was simply the start of a laundry list of questions that he had. He saw that Lynn was across from him, dressed in her nightwear. She was tied to a table on it's side, her arms attached to different legs of the piece of furniture, leaving her own legs stretched out in front of her. He could feel ropes binding his hands behind a pipe, unable to allow him to move from his place. "Good evening, Lincoln," the voice called again. He recognized it as Luan's. "Or should I say morning instead?" A light chuckle followed the words.

She began her descent down the basement steps, looking as if there was no big problem to what was before her. Luna was at the base of the steps, shame and guilt apparent from her posture. She was hoping that nothing too depraved could happen before Luan was stopped.

"What the hell is going on, Luan?" Lincoln grilled his older sister. She reached the bottom of the steps, moving still at her steady pace.

"You see, your sister here did something she wasn't supposed to," Luan started with her deliverance of the sentence, indicating Lynn in her address, "and so, she has to pay the price." Luan focused her gaze to Lynn, a Machiavellian-Cheshire smile posted onto her face. "You see, I don't like competition for the heart of someone I love." She produced a baseball bat from a box, looking too pleased to be handling it. "Which means you have to be taken care of, and speaking of competition, I don't think you'll be worrying about those for much longer." She pointed the bat at Lynn in her giving of a sentence. Lynn and Lincoln started to shout for help, wrestling with the restraints that were being used on them. Luan just laughed, the guilt piling on Luna. "This room is completely sound-proofed, so your screams simply become one with silence."

 _Not completely_ , Luna told herself in her mind. She used her expertise to make it appear as if it was good at canceling sound while lacking the capabilities to do so. It was just as if it were untouched. Luan tested her personal words, banging the bat on the hard cement floor to emphasize that nothing could escape and to also drive a little more fear into Lynn.

Lori was going back to bed, having gotten up to use the restroom. She heard some banging and shouting, unsure of where it was coming from. It sounded off through the vents a little. She started to explore the house, looking for the source of the sound.

"Now then, back to your punishment." Luan directed her gaze to focus solely on Lynn. "As I mentioned, you wouldn't have to worry ever again about your competitions." When the words left, she straightened herself, grasping the bat with both hands. She adjusted her position, aiming for what she wanted to hit. With a strong downswing, she struck Lynn's left kneecap. There was a loud _snap!_ as the knee went backward, the back of it touching the ground. A moment passed before the pain slammed into Lynn. It felt like a freight train had hit her. She could feel the shattered knee, each and every individual piece. A cry left her lips.

She had suffered injuries before, what with her playing sports so often, but never had she ever had the benefit of a broken knee. There was nothing to rightly compare it to. She couldn't stop the screech exiting her lips, couldn't stop what was going to happen. Luan positioned herself again, her smile having never left, and took a swing at the other knee. The same result happened, sending Lynn into a state of shock. There was no pain now. There was simply a void. It welcomed her, her lids starting to droop. It looked nice, allowing her to escape from reality.

"Oh no, you don't get to leave quite yet," Luan informed Lynn. Luna had become sick to her stomach after hearing the injuries. Lincoln was screaming, obscenities rarely coming out. Luan didn't notice anything outside her tunnel of the world. "No, there's one last thing you have to take for your crime." Luan produced a knife, waving it a little as she took her free hand and held Lynn's face up to hers, seeing her want to drift off. "You see, there's only one thing left in your sentencing." She started to position the blade against Lynn's throat, oblivious to Lori approaching her. "You have to die."

Hands grabbed her. She swung the blade wildly to the direction of the owner of the hands. The item met its mark, stabbing Lori in her abdomen. Luan took in the sight, dazed at the deed she had done. She was unable to hold hatred any longer. She never wanted to hurt anyone other than Lynn, she didn't intend to hurt her older sister. Her world crashed as she went to her knees. Lori looked at her, shocked that she had been stabbed. Luna booked it from the room, going to get help.

 _Why?_ Lori mouthed, grabbing the knife. She felt woozy from the loss of blood, unable to try and pull it from it's spot. Luan just started crying, sobbing out the words "I'm sorry" over and over again. She came to the realization far too late that she couldn't hurt anyone without guilt taking over. She didn't know how to help her sisters. Lynn slipped into the dreamworld, blacking out from the pain. Lincoln was tied up, not able to help his sisters in any way. He stared, tears forming in his eyes. He saw his father fly down the stairs, rushing to Lori.

"Come on, Lori, stay awake for me," he begged as he saw her eyes start to wander, applying pressure after removing the knife. Time went on far too long. Luna returned, untying Lincoln and Lynn before helping with Lori. Lincoln heard sirens coming to a halt outside the house, not doubting the entire family had been woken up by this point. He saw the E.M.T.'s rush in, taking over for his father. One attended to Lynn, running through the normal procedures while a couple others dealt with Lori. They wheeled Lori out, taking her as fast as possible, grabbing Lynn afterwards. The family shuffled outside and traveled to the hospital as fast as the devil himself could go. The world was a blur to Lincoln.

They arrived at the hospital, frantically checking in at the desk about their relatives. They both seemed to be in the I.C.U., their wounds being tended to. This still didn't settle their worries, the sisters mumbling amongst each other and anxious. Some moments passed before a couple of police officers showed up, greeting the family.

"We're looking for a Luan Loud," one of the officers told the family. Luan limply raised her hand, still dazed and out of touch with reality. "Alright Miss Loud, we're going to have to take you in for questioning," he said, slapping handcuffs on her. The family was unable to comprehend it all. Her sisters wanted to halt the proceedings, wanted to tell him it was a mistake, but were immobilized.

"We also need one of your parents to accompany us for the questioning," the other officer spoke to the family. The parents deliberated before they agreed on who would go.

"I'll head with you," their father stated. He leaned over and said something into his wife's ear before leaving with the police. The family chattered amongst themselves, worried for those missing from the waiting room. Lincoln peered at the clock, with it reading two in the morning. A nurse came from behind a set of doors, approaching the family.

"It seems we have to perform some emergency surgery on both of your children, so do expect an update in about an hour. You have my condolences," and she turned, disappearing behind those doors. They chatted some more, a great excitement riling them up, each nodding off to their previous states with the passage of time. Only Lincoln, Luna, and their mother fought the sleep. Luna was wracked with guilt and a slew of other feelings, making her hate her own guts. Lincoln replayed the traumatic moments in his head. He saw Luan breaking Lynn's knees, stabbing Lori. It was a horror movie stuck on an endless loop. The nurse appeared again at the moment their father returned, lacking Luan. She told them it would be another hour before she could say anything further.

Their parents got caught up in what was going on. The police received a call for the household with the name of Luan being used to name the perpetrator of the violent crimes. Luan was going to be detained until enough time passed to allow for credible witnesses to be used for the reports. The nurse came out again after the allotment of time she had quoted passed.

"It seems the doctors are unable to do anything further for your daughter Lynn, choosing to let time tell. Lori is still being operated on, so expect another update soon."

"Can we please see Lynn?" their mother begged, too afraid of not being with her daughter if something went awry. Their father began waking everyone up to prepare for the visit.

"Right this way," she said, allowing for the family to follow. They moved about the twisting corridors, never losing sight of the nurse. "And here we are," she claimed as she stopped outside a room. "Lynn should be waking up soon, but I do have to tell you to let her wake up naturally." She promptly left, the family filing in. They crowded into the room, waiting for their member to rouse.

"We're going to step out, so get us if she needs us, okay?" their mother directed the family, indicating their father in the deal. It was just the siblings left in the room, ticking off the moments. The sisters waited, nodding off again. Lincoln sat with patience by Lynn's side. He had a chair pulled up, holding her hand as he watched her. He scored the item before anyone could lay claim. He could hear the clock on the wall, counting the ticks as it worked. Lynn started moving, catching his attention. Her eyes opened, looking at him with a tired look.

"Oh, hey, Link," she greeted, the anesthesia wearing off. A smile placed itself on her face, trying to provide him with cheer. "Where a–," she stopped mid-sentence. Confusion danced in her expression. "Why can't I move my legs?" He stared, a somber lump hitting his throat. "Lincoln, why can't I move my legs?" Her heartbeat monitor began making sounds more rapidly. "Lincoln, why can't I move my legs?" She repeated. Panic was taking hold of her voice. The monitor was going even faster. "Lincoln, why can't I move my legs?!" Her voice was getting louder, the monitor still emitting faster. He could see her panic growing. "Lincoln?" she asked, her heart racing quite fast for what it should be. She was trying to shift herself, failing to operate her legs.

She could feel them there with her hands, see them even since she tore off her blanket, she just couldn't move them. Tears began to form, her heart monitor going crazy. She entered hysteria, attempting to thrash her legs about while nearly screaming. Lincoln just held her in as best a hug as he could, tears flowing down his own face. The family woke, grabbing their parents as they tried to comfort their own kin. What started off as the best night of the couple's life transformed into one of abominable horror. How could their life change like this?

 **Author's Note: I really struggled to write this chapter. I think I'm hitting some sort of burnout for writing, so after the next chapter I'll be taking a light sabbatical to plan the next portion of the story. I want to work out some details before anything is solid, but the time frame I'm aiming for to resume is no less than a week and no more than a month. I really feel dissatisfied with the past two chapters which is why I'm waiting to write anything for chapter eight and beyond. Don't worry, I will be finishing my tale.**

 **Now then, I started a poll on my profile so that I could let you pick what my next story should be titled. The reason why is because I like each pick just enough that I can't pick one, so relegated that job to you, dear reader. Speaking of my next story, I want to crank out a chapter for it before I finish this one so that I can get initial reactions and see what level of interest you might have. It's going to be a different story from what I have written so far but it will hopefully be great.**

 **One last thing. I had plans to release a one-shot by Christmas but my computer flipped me the bird and now I have to start from scratch. I do plan on it being released before the end of the year, so do let me know what you think of it when it gets published. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter.**

 **Edit: I... just read back through the AN and... Well, it doesn't matter too much. I'll be making a few announcements when I push out the epilogue. So, just a reminder: if you don't want me to add these edits in, then please say something.**


	7. Cannot Stand

**AN: Thank you everyone for the 6,000+ views. I meant to do this for 5k but I didn't get too much of a chance to do so, here it is. Please, enjoy the story.**

The house stood without an ounce of life stirring inside. The family had returned from their emergency visit to the hospital, save for Lori. Everyone was a husk of their normal self. The twins wouldn't enjoy the normal activities they usually enjoyed, figuring it would just be better to mope about. Leni was afraid to be in her shared room since it felt infinite in its emptiness. Luna was in her room, a mess of emotions. Lily didn't understand what was going on, but was sad nonetheless. The only people that didn't appear to have changed on the outside were Lisa and Lucy, though each were handling things in whatever was to help them in the turmoil that encompassed their family.

Lynn sat in her room, the blue sky becoming gray in her eyes. She echoed the words and scene from the hospital in her head.

"It'll be a miracle if she ever walks again in her lifetime," the doctor informed the family. Her very fears from her love of sports came to pass. The doctor had explained that the damage to her knees was severe enough that her nerves were nearly obliterated. She would've continued to shed more tears but she ran out hours ago. Now, she had to sit and become acquainted with the only form of mobility she had. Her spirits lay broken, reminding her of her knees.

Lincoln lay on his bed, traumatized from the ordeal. He couldn't stop the world of pain for his girlfriend, couldn't help her walk anytime soon. He felt useless. The world sat in constant pain in his mind.

 _Maybe this is how Lucy feels_ , he thought to himself, attempting to bring some sort of joy to his heart, failing beyond belief. He recalled the events in which he had to give a detailed account about the attack on his sister. Having to relive that Hell was awful, but probably not as awful as it was for his girlfriend.

"Son, can you please tell us what you saw?" the grizzled cop asked from across a cold table. Lincoln was terrified of the location, even if he wasn't the one in trouble. His father sat in the room with him, watching as his son had to tell the cops a tale in which a daughter of his might be tried as an adult. Neither wanted to put their kin away for a long time, but lying to the cops wasn't a pleasant experience to deal with either. He began recounting the events in the basement, omitting what led up to the capture.

"Alright," the cop spoke softly as he recorded what was said, "So can you explain to us why your sister, Luan, is claiming that she broke your other sister Lynn's kneecaps because she 'Loved you'?" Lincoln felt his heart drop. He had to say something, _anything_ , to keep the cop from looking too much further into his love-life.

"What do you mean loved me?" he answered, hoping to allow for a path to let him pass unscathed.

"It appears that she loves you in more than a sibling kind of way. We were hoping to get some further insights into why," the cop replied in his gruff voice. Lincoln struggled to sound convincing in his next answer.

"I didn't know she loved me like that." The cop stared at him, eyes hiding behind sunglasses. Lincoln felt sweat forming.

"Well, at least we've got some more answers for this story. I'd like to thank you Mr. and Mr. Loud for your time. It's simply easier to have a parent present for these kinds of proceedings. Do expect to hear from us again when we have more for the case." As he left, Lincoln returned to his current place in time. A sigh escaped his lips.

"I hope Lori gets better soon," he mumbled to himself.

Luna stared at the ceiling, unable to look the rest of her family in the eye. It was her fault that she was down two sisters in the house, leaving a third a cripple. All of her tears dried up, leaving a barren wasteland for her despair. She was unable to bring herself to pick up her guitar, fearing she would be wandering too much in her inner machinations to focus on a tune. The hospital scene played out all too fresh for her. She remembered the doctor telling the family about all of their current problems.

"We've had to put your daughter, Lori, in a coma due to some minor complications after surgery. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news," he told them after telling them of Lynn. Luna felt like it was all her fault, despite the circumstances. She tried to pass blame from herself off to Luan, only to return the pain back to herself. The police she had to speak to weren't much better in their line of questioning from the blame she held for herself. She was at the station with Lincoln and her father, unable to attest to anything without the parent. It bought her time to keep from telling a complete lie. Her father returned to her, heading back in with his daughter.

"Miss Loud, we have need to ask what you were doing in the basement during the attack on your sisters and brother?" the cop asked. He was of quite a grand age, looking ready for retirement.

"I was..." she started, not sure if she should actually say what she wanted, "being blackmailed into being there." The cop looked at her funny, intrigued by the tale she was telling. Her father was sharing the same look as the cop.

"Could you please elaborate for us?" the cop requested.

"I... would like to plead the fifth," she said, hoping to finish the questioning rather quickly. The police still kept up with some follow-up items, getting a lack of answers before finally thanking them for their time and allowing them to leave. She didn't want this memory to have been reality. She prayed that it was still some crazy dream she'd wake up from.

Luan sat in her holding cell, leaving her head in her hands as her guilt overtook her. The world was surreal, moving and feeling like it was an awful dream. Her reality was far from where she wanted it. They even placed her on suicide watch after observing some of her behavior. She sat there, not believing for one second how she could have attempted to kill one sister and stabbed a second. She loved Lincoln, but was it too much love? Her war that raged inside her never eased, instead having been riled up more and more. She spilled the beans about what she was doing and why. She never told them about having video evidence against any siblings, having told them all that happened in the basement instead.

She wanted to turn to her sisters, to her brother, to her family, and say sorry and that would make everything magically better. But no, this was the real world. She had committed atrocious acts against those she was to help feel better and care for. She started shedding tears, remorse finally filling the void she had dug in her spirit against her family. She wanted to know if Lori was okay or if Lynn was able to run in a few weeks. _Man, trying to kill family really bit you in the ass_ , she thought, unable to keep her sniffles and sobs from escaping. She just wanted to go home.

Lincoln moved out of his room, wanting to just wander about the house, stopping when he was about to pass Lynn's shared room. He knocked. No answer came from across the door, leading him to open it. Lynn was staring at the window, slumped in her wheelchair. She didn't seem to notice the world passing by her.

"Lynn?" he called, worried if there was a problem.

"Go away," she told him, replying like it was anyone else that had come into the room. He ignored her, moving over to her position and resting his right hand on her left shoulder. She let out an exasperated sigh before facing him.

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to see how you were feeling," he admitted to her, wanting to find some way to raise her spirits.

"Well," she trailed, looking to each side of her new, wheeled legs, "I guess I could be better off." She looked at the floor, depression having settled in.

"It could be worse," he told her, hoping she (and he) would see the bright side in it all. It did nothing but let her finally snap.

"How? How could it be worse?" she started to rant and rave.

"Well, you could've been killed," he countered.

"I wish I was killed," she told him.

"No, no you don't. Not only that, but at least you can park closer to places," he pointed out, hoping she would lighten up.

"How does that help me any? That's what, one benefit in my life?" she continued, "I can't even play sports anymore. Do you know how it feels to not have the ability to use your legs?!" she berated, not stopping when his spirits began dampening, "I can't play football, I can't participate in extreme sports; hell, I can't even be a part of baseball anymore." She couldn't bear yelling at him, lowering her voice as she returned her gaze to the floor and put her hand on her cheek as she used her arm for a crutch. "This whole thing is my fault."

"No, it's my fault," he claimed, causing her to move to stare at him. "If I was never born then Luan wouldn't have tried to kill you, she wouldn't have hurt Luna. If I–" he was stopped when a slap came across his face. He moved a hand to touch the point of impact.

"Don't you ever say that," Lynn growled at him. He was running on all cylinders, looking for a proper reply.

"Say what?"

"Don't ever say that it was your fault," she elaborated. He seemed hurt that she would become so hostile at his words.

"Lynn, how do you think I feel about you saying how you wished you were dead?" he pointed out, aiming to get past her guard. She tried to move her mouth, tried to make it work but was cut off by her brother. "You know damn well how I hate you saying that. It's bad enough Lori's stuck in the hospital and Luan's locked up. You don't need to pile on," he scolded. She faced away from him, closing her eyes and began pinching the bridge of her nose. "Lynn, I know what your feeling and I want to help you." He swept her into a hug, bending down to grab her with both arms. "I'll help you walk again," he spoke lowly, trying to not blast her ear with his voice.

"Lincoln, you heard that doctor just like I did. You know ho–" she tried to say.

"I know what the doctor said. I don't care if it takes the rest of your life," he began to tell her, "I just want to see you happy again." Her very heartstrings had been plucked. She embraced his hug, finding a new well of tears full of happiness.

Lucy opened the door to the room Luna used to share with Luan, spotting Luna curled into the fetal position and facing the wall.

"Are you okay?" she asked, not expecting an immediate response. Luna adjusted her head to peer at the visitor, turning back after recognizing who it was.

"Go away," Luna demanded in her gray tone.

"I'm sorry for what Luan did to you," Lucy tried in forcing her older sister out of her shell.

"I said go away," Luna commanded in a slightly louder voice.

"I'm not going to let you sit here and tear yourself apart," Lucy gave as her ultimatum. Luna sighed before moving to a sitting position on her bed.

"What do you need?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were doing fine," she claimed, hiding some of her ulterior motives.

"I don't think I'll ever be fine," Luna admitted.

"And why's that?"

"Because I'm a monster," she berated herself, not stopping with those words, "I love our brother. I tried to sneak a peek while he was showering. I even could've stopped what happened in the basement," her eyes started to swell to the brim, "But I didn't. Lynn's a cripple, Lori's stuck in a coma, and it's all my fault." Lucy stood in what seemed to be her usual fashion, not moving or talking. "And the worst part is I'm going to burn for my choices in life."

"Luna, what Luan did wasn't in your control," Lucy stated. "You weren't the only one able to stop it." Luna stopped her despair, curious to what she was talking about.

"What?"

"I said you weren't the only one able to stop it," she repeated, a slight quiver in her voice.

"What do you mean?" Luna expounded. The sister that stood in front of her seemed to lose her typical demeanor.

"I was the only other one who could've stopped it," Lucy cracked, revealing a level of vulnerability never seen by her siblings. Luna was unable see her eyes but did see the trails of water starting to move down her face. "And now the sister I share a room with isn't ever going to be the same because of me." Luna moved off of her bed to comfort Lucy. Sniffles filled the silence of the room, the two trying to comfort each other.

Ronnie Anne held bags under her eyes, the result of her lack of sleep. She couldn't shake the feeling of a disturbance within the Loud family. She looked at her phone, choosing at long last to send a text to her ex-boyfriend. Maybe they could talk and she could gather information on what was happening with him, possibly lend her assistance in his sister's fight against Luan. The message went straight to it's intended recipient. She made the decision to head out from her room to enjoy the rest of the house. Ronnie Anne came to the landing at the top of the stairs, catching her brother seated on a chair with his face in one of his hands. She went to her brother, wondering if something was wrong.

"You're home early," she commented, curious to the reason he had for leaving work before his shift ended.

"Oh, hey Ronnie," he looked up to greet his sister with as cheery a voice as he could summon. He threw on a smile for a facade, his eyes selling him out with how red they were.

"Did you get fired or something?" she asked, knowing that this wasn't the case as it seemed to be a near regular expectation whenever he acquired a new job.

"No, it's... nothing, nothing at all," he lied, trying to keep up appearances for his sister. She could see past his excuse, furthering her determination for the truth.

"Come on, Bobby. You know full well I won't stop until you tell me what's going on," she warned in a rather aggressive tone, even for how soft it was, bluffing him into telling her.

"It's just..." he fidgeted a little, rubbing his chin while he thought of how to break his news to her, "I found out while on lunch that... Lori had been stabbed and that she's in a coma." He finished the rest of his sentence while staring in the distance, not wanting to show his pain to his sister. Her soul felt heavier, knowing she tried to prevent this atrocity and failed to do so. A simple "Oh" was all she managed, not sure how to deal with the news.

 **Author's Notes: I apologize for the long upload time. The holidays were a little chaotic and I didn't get much chance to write. I also am sorry for the short chapter today but I wasn't satisfied with anything past this point and even then I don't like this ending too much. I am going to go on a little hiatus so nothing will be coming out for at least a week but I will crank out a chapter before the month ends.**

 **That said, I am thinking about changing my upload time from within a week to within two weeks. I feel like I'm getting some sort of burnout while writing this story and I don't want to abandon it before completion. I also need the time to plan out the next portion of my tale. I am grateful for the feedback and reviews you have given me so don't stop.**

 **Onto my last bit of business. I am holding a Q &A on the third of January on my forum. It's the one titled 1van's Loud House forum. It'll be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST. I will also be holding one on Friday the 6th. I hope that this answered some of your questions and that you keep a lookout for the next chapter.**

 **Edit: Really beginning to regret putting AN's in these. Oh well. Onto the next chapter.**


	8. Loud on Wheels (pt 1)

_Lynn was running through what appeared to be knee-high grass. There was a light breeze, bringing the smell of the grass with it. She didn't bother wondering why she was able to walk, let alone run; the movements of her legs made her feel as if there was no such thing as too much joy. Lynn wanted to run forever so as to never forsake the use of her feet and legs ever again. She didn't notice the tree she was going to nearly clip. Instead, the sun felt warm and friendly, beckoning her to soak it in with closed eyes and outstretched arms. She came upon the tree, nearly passing it before something connected with her left knee, pressing it backwards._

 _Her eyes shot open. The sun was no longer friendly and warm due to the sky having been turned cloudy and dark. She looked at the knee, spotting the rather obtuse angle of which it had acquired. She wanted to cry out, wanted to pass out, but couldn't. Luan appeared from the other side of the tree, holding the bat she used rather smugly. It leaned against her shoulder in a lazy carry, one hand holding onto its handle. Lynn had tumbled to the ground, not seeing the grass had shrunk to a point low on the ground. Luan's braces seemed to glint, even in the deadened light._

 _Lynn stared in fear, unable to crawl away._

 _"My, my, my. It seems you've taken a bit of a_ beating _," Luan commented, swinging the bat down to strike the other knee just to emphasize the last word. It wasn't left in as horrid an angle as the other had been, but the destruction still rang in Lynn's ears. She couldn't do anything but stare. Her mouth lacked the will to work, her arms the courage. Luan threw away the bat, letting it land on Lynn, who paid it no mind. She approached the prone girl, not caring if her own life was in danger. She grinned even wider, destroying Lynn's mind further. Luan took the bat after Lynn was unable or unwilling to grab it. "Well, as they say, 'batter up'," Luan stated, swinging the bat into Lynn's left arm, "or should I say_ down _." She took another swing, hitting Lynn in the abdomen._

 _The younger sister began curling up, trying to do something to protect herself._

 _"Please, Luan, stop!" she begged, her voice finally returning. The comedienne laughed at the sight before her._

 _"You want me to stop?" she repeated, trying to stifle her laugh, only to laugh even harder. "I don't think I can stop. You see, there's still the matter of your punishment." Lynn's eyes went wide, her heart beating faster. "You never got the proper punishment. So, I'm going to finish what I started." With those final words, she began swinging her re-purposed piece of sporting equipment. She moved from the legs to the arms, not letting up for one second. She finally stopped after a few swings into her younger sister's abdomen. Lynn couldn't move a muscle. Every bone felt shredded. She wanted it to end rather soon. "Soon, it'll all be over. Soon," Luan claimed, slamming the bat across Lynn's chest, over and over. Lynn couldn't breathe; her chest felt like it was on fire._

"Lynn, come on wake up," a familiar voice started commanding her from the darkness. She was being shaken, unsure if it was from the bat slamming into her. "Come on, it's okay, Lynn. Just wake up. It'll all be over soon. Just wake up."

Lynn opened her eyes to see that Lincoln was standing over her, gently shaking her. She was on the floor, her legs having stayed on the bed to the best of their abilities. She was pale, her breathing rapid. Lincoln looked quite worried, nearly ready to run off for his parents if need be. Lucy was behind him, not sure of what to do. She had run to grab Lincoln after hearing her older sister screaming in her sleep. It was while returning that they both heard the thud of the girl hitting the ground from her bed.

"Lincoln?" she called to him, unsure if this was the real world. She tried to move her legs so as to fix herself, but failed, making her look at them in confusion. He knew what she was trying to do, gesturing to Lucy to grab Lynn on the other side of her body. Together, they hoisted her onto her bed, unintentionally taking a small chunk of dignity from their older sister. No matter how long she lived, she would never get used to the lack of legs; legs she had taken for granted. Lynn began rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Are you alright, Lynn?" he questioned, wanting to make sure she hadn't harmed herself. She seemed to be thinking rather intently, forming some choice of words to give him.

"I'm fine, Lincoln," she half-heartedly answered, hoping it would be enough to throw him off of her problems. He didn't buy the product she presented before him.

"You're not fine. Please, tell me what's wrong," he pleaded, adding "I want to help you, Lynn" as he moved to sit on the bed. Lucy took a seat on her own bed, afraid to interact with her siblings. Lynn looked toward the wall, averting her gaze from her brother.

"I told you, Lincoln, I'm fine," she asserted. He wouldn't back off from his position. He stared at her, wishing for her to open up. She tried to turn around so as to avoid his stare, but failed once more to remember the uselessness her legs provided her. She was struggling to hold back her emotional pain, tears wanting to roll as she recounted the nightmare in her mind. It boggled her mind that someone within their family could do this. He saw that she was ready to shake, not sure of why but knowing full well it wasn't because of nothing.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me," Lincoln informed her in something that resembled a huff.

"Wait," Lynn commanded, stopping him dead in his tracks. "I kind of need your help with something," she forced out to give him reason to stop, the volume dropping off throughout the sentence. He then gestured for her to finish. "I need to take a shower and I can't get out of the tub," she explained, the words grating her pride with a slight blush to accompany it. He nodded and helped her from her bed, Lucy coming over to assist on the side opposite of Lincoln. Lynn nigh barked at them to set her on the floor, not wanting to feel humiliated any longer than she had to. She walked on her hands to the bathroom with Lincoln following close by. Lucy knew to let them have their private time together, disappearing off to another part of the house altogether.

Lynn tried to open the door but the handle was just a touch too far from her being able to grasp it properly, allowing her fingers to slip on its brassy finish. She sighed in frustration, cuing Lincoln to open the door for her. She loathed the feeling of helplessness that encompassed much of her life. Lynn brushed past the still opening door with Lincoln stepping in after her and returning it to its original position. The day was still rather early, but that wasn't why no-one stirred. The linoleum felt cold under her hands, not like she would mind too much since a nice shower was on the way. Lynn grabbed the wooden stepstool, adjusting it so that she could get in without much worry.

Lincoln was unsure of what to do when he saw her start stripping out of her nightwear. The nonchalantness of her actions was rather odd for him, considering how he was always taught to be polite and not to look at his sisters when they were naked (with more reasons than he cared to remember on why not to do it). She grinned a little at his attitude toward her nudity.

"Oh, come on. It's not like you haven't seen me nude before," she teased, adding fuel to his embarrassment. He knew she had a point but old habits die hard. It was nice to hear her make some sort of joke. "I need you to turn the knobs for me," she told him. Whatever smile was there had now vanished. He obliged, still refusing to look at her nudity.

 _At least I think I know how Clyde feels around Lori_ , he passively thought, not realizing the name he had used. He, too, lost some of the happiness he had garnered from this early in the day. Worry invaded his heart. _I hope she wakes up soon_ , he thought solemnly to himself. At least now he had Lynn right where he wanted her. He could seek his way into helping her with her problems, whether she wanted his help or not.

Luan was startled awake by the clanging of the cell door. She didn't know what was going on or if she was going to be moved somewhere else. All she knew was she couldn't sleep much. It led to her falling asleep in the middle of the day, even if she didn't want to. In stepped an elderly black woman, who looked to be dressed in appropriate garb for the prison, even if it wasn't a uniform, gripping some sort of folder and clipboard. Following her was a guard, ready to restrain Luan if necessary.

"Good morning, Ms. Loud. I'm Dr. Kareesha," the woman spoke, extending her right hand. Luan was unsure if she should shake her hand, wanting to follow in her instincts for the manners she was drilled into remembering. A quick look at the guard left her with no further assistance to an answer. The woman smiled with a single giggle, showing off her kempt teeth. "That's alright. I won't take it personally." The tone made Luan feel warm and comforted, even in the current environment she found herself stuck in. "Well, at any rate, I might as well explain myself. I'm here to evaluate you to see if you're fit to stand trial." Luan wasn't very surprised to find her sanity being called into question; even she doubted herself to not be crazy. "So, shall we make our way to someplace more private?" she asked rhetorically. The prisoner stared at the doctor, not sure of what to do before the guard came over to her. Luan was ushered out of the cell, put into shackles, and forced down a series of hallways.

She thought about her life choices the whole time she was held. She constantly questioned everything about herself, never once receiving a solid enough answer to give herself. They eventually arrived at the door that led into one of the interrogation rooms. Luan, Dr. Kareesha, and the guard moved in, with the evaluator and evaluee positioning themselves across from each other. The doctor looked at the guard and ordered him to remove the restraints from Luan. He looked ready to argue otherwise before a cold look placed itself over the face she used for Luan. He obeyed and Luan was freed of her handcuffs. Luan could see the one-way mirror from her side.

"Alright then. I'm here to evaluate whether you're fit to stand trial or not. I am also here to explain how and why you're facing a potential trial along with the evaluation of your mental state so as to help in the decisions and sentencing should you be found guilty or unfit to face trial. Do you understand?" the woman queried as she adjusted what Luan assumed to be her reading glasses. Not once did she look up as she spoke, giving all of her visual attention to setting everything up that was in the folder. Luan followed every word, giving a lifeless "yes" before resuming her new demeanor that she had picked up while being held. The woman looked up from the papers.

"When you do your job long enough, you eventually get into a habit," she advised Luan, putting a smile back on her own face. "Is there anything you want? Water or something to drink?" Luan merely shook her head, not wanting to face the coming judgment. She held a gaze that made her look how she felt: terror. She stared into the table, getting ready to throw up mental barriers. The woman across from her still kept a friendly face, making Luan feel more uncomfortable. An awkward silence filled the room. "Alright. Just to make you aware, the lawyer handling your case is on the other side of that mirror in case you need or request him at any point during the evaluation. Do you understand?" Luan uttered another lifeless "yes". "Good. I'll start with the first question. What compelled you stab your older sister, Lori Loud?"

"I didn't mean to stab her," Luan softly explained, memories creeping back to the forefront of her mind. The woman jotted down something in her notes, returning to Luan with one hand ready to keep going.

"You didn't mean to stab her?" she echoed back. Luan still gave her the short reply that seemed to come easily. "Okay. So who did you mean to stab?" Luan grew more cold than she wanted to.

"Lynn," she admitted. Her throat felt slightly dry.

"You meant to use the knife on Lynn Loud Jr., correct?" she clarified, still writing in her notes. Luan gave the usual response. "Why did you want to use it on Lynn?" Luan could feel a desert nearly form in her throat.

"Because I loved Lincoln," the young girl confessed. The evaluator stopped writing so as to raise her eyes to focus on the criminal before her.

"As in sibling love?" she investigated, a hint of disbelief in her voice. Luan looked down at the table in shame.

"No," she told her in a barely audible word.

"What was that?"

"No," Luan spoke a bit louder. The doctor was rather shocked, having never encountered a case like this one before. Before she could go any further, Luan continued talking. "I don't get it."

"What don't you g–?"

"I just don't get it," the comedienne stated once more, interrupting the doctor to finish what was on her mind. "I read Machiavelli and I followed it to the letter and then... and then..." she realized there was one portion of his book that she abandoned and that was the chapter on evil and wickedness. A flood of other thoughts stoked the fires of her emotions. "I read that book. I stabbed my sister. I tried killing another sister. I've hurt my family," the revelation she was reaching for came closer than she expected to reach in this short amount of time, "I was ready to kill my sister and not feel one bit guilty, but here I am, feeling remorse." With these final words, she scrunched her face up and buried her head into her hands. "Why? Why can't I not feel guilt? Why?" Luan pushed the words from her lips.

Dr. Kareesha was stunned. All this time in her line of work couldn't prepare her for this. Luan had fallen out of her chair, curling up as she kept crying "why" over and over again. A guard came into the room, moving to pick Luan up and restrain her before being told off by the elderly woman. She thought it best to let Luan get it out before going further. That and so long as Luan wasn't causing immediate harm to anyone, then it would be fine.

"Ms. Loud?" she called, trying to get the girl's attention. "Ms. Loud, why do you feel guilty?" She chose to take an interesting approach and address the potential convict in a blunt manner, hoping to drive her out of this state. It seemed to work, as Luan stopped in her wallowing.

"W-what?" she stuttered.

"I asked, why do you feel guilty?" Luan looked dumbfounded. This was the very question she wanted an answer to. Why did she feel guilty? Why was she so prepared to kill only to feel that weight of her actions heave itself upon her. This would be a rather long and queer session.

 **Edit: Getting closer now to finishing up these new edits. Save them while you can.**


	9. Loud on Wheels (pt 2)

Lincoln waited about in his room after helping Lynn from the tub. He cornered her in his quest for what plagued his sister in her dreams, learning of her pain while mentally kicking himself for forcing her into that position of seeing Hell once more. He grabbed a comic, expecting to read it only to be stuck on the first panel. He paced about the room, biding his time until he could see the clock reading off the time he wanted to leave the house. Lincoln made it to the stairs before Lynn spotted him and subsequently called to him from her room.

"Where are you heading?" she investigated, throwing her tennis ball into the air and letting it land in her lap.

"I was going to head over to the park and meet Ronnie Anne," he explained before inviting her to join him. She politely refused and he left. She kept throwing the ball, permitting her mind to wander. The ball brought memories of sports with each throw, slowly building and building until she threw the object away, unwilling to relive her glory days. With a sigh, Lynn started to crawl out of her room, hoping that a change of scenery would benefit her. She moved to the landing, and sat against the wall, having resigned herself to just listening to the t.v. Choices had to be made and she didn't wish to try and rush the stairs when the need struck her.

Lana walked from her room, going to attend her own form of entertainment, engaged in what looked like deep thought. Lana's face changed from holding this appearance to one of an unknown fear as she caught sight of Lynn. She stared at Lynn, not sure of what she should do. Lynn looked to the floor, ignoring the sister that stood before her. Lana continued to descend that which Lynn wouldn't before being stopped by her voice.

"Lana?"

"Yeah?" the younger sister replied.

"Is there any way you could help me with something?" Lynn queried, hoping that the future contractor could help.

"W-with what?" Lana stuttered. Lynn hesitated, making sure she had the right words to portray her request.

"Well, a couple of things really. Could you build me a set of steps for my bed?" Lana left the air with silence before responding.

"Uh, sure, I can do that," she stated, nodding her head while envisioning the dimensions needed.

"And is it also possible that you could build some sort of chair for me, so that I can use the stairs?" Lana looked at the stairs, trying to visualize what could be done with the potential project.

"Maybe, I guess, but I might have to get Lisa to help with that, so I don't know," the young girl gave with honesty. Lynn felt a smile tug at the corner of her mouth just from the potential of the project. She returned to listening to just the t.v. and Lana continued to the ground floor of the house.

She closed her eyes before throwing them open again due to the nightmare that was her alarm. She couldn't even close her eyes without some reminder forcing its way into her life of how her sister could be more akin to a monster than human. A minor thought entered her mind, though the ideas and implications went deeper than she wished to go. _Is God punishing me?_

Lincoln finally arrived at the park, spotting Ronnie Anne at a nearby table. He gave a brief shout and waved his hand, catching her attention. She got up from the table to properly greet him before accompanying him for a walk through the park. They chatted, with him filling Ronnie Anne in on the latest news with his sisters.

"Good God," she mumbled. She knew she shouldn't have been surprised but here she was, shocked at the entirety of the atrocities of a single sister.

"My thoughts exactly," he spoke. He arranged the meeting during their brief exchange of texts after she had learned of Lori's fate from her brother.

"How are you holding up?"

"Well... I guess things could be better but..." he trailed.

"But what?" She was worried he was holding onto some fear, one that he couldn't bear to explain for worry of how it might be used against him.

"I don't know," he began shifting, "You know how I would give anything to change the past, right?" She nodded, allowing him to further voice his concerns. "Well, that's just it. I can't change the past. I can't prevent her world of pain. I can't stop Luan from her rampage. I can't do anything." He hung his head in shame, his dilemma laid bare before Ronnie Anne. She didn't know what to do and wrapped her arms around him. He was caught off guard, not sure if he should return the action. Ronnie Anne let go, not wanting to make it awkward as he didn't seem to react to it. "Thanks," he finally said, still stuck in his stressful world.

"Have you visited Lori yet?" she asked, hoping it would divert enough of his attention from the past.

"I haven't but we were all planning to tomorrow." He seemed to perk up, even if it was minuscule in total. "Did you or Bobby want to come?" Lincoln extended the offer, but she declined, telling him that she would tell him of Bobby's answer when he got home. The conversation ceased, with them parting ways. He mulled over their words, wanting to find some way to find meaning in it all. Was it really just meaningless? No, no. There had to be something there. There just had to be.

Luan was returned to her cell, the watch she was under having been upgraded to include a guard who would stand and watch her, no matter the hour. The doctor had copied every detail down, trying to ensure an accurate and appropriate decision for what was to become of Luan. Luan stared into a corner of the cell, not able to have any material to find entertainment in as per the orders of the guard watching her. This was it. This was the highlight of her fun in this godforsaken place. She tried to think of jokes to amuse herself, failing and giving up after the first one fell through.

 _I deserve this. I deserve whatever's coming to me_ , the dismal thought apparated. She refused to cry anymore. She needed to take responsibility for her actions. Her whole story baffled the doctor, as she explained her life story and how it all tied into the events of the horrid night. She spared no detail in her account, even including how she saw the event that led into her rage, forcing every plan to move into action long before they were completed. She had a whole session of torture planned for Lynn, but that went out the door faster than it should have. Luan opened every wound with her assessment.

She began chanting internally, trying to find her happy place in a desperate bid to escape her reality. She believed in the fact that she needed to be punished for her egregious sins, but there was only so much anyone could take before they felt like they began losing their mind. She curled up on the bench, further removing herself from reality. The clangs of doors and shouts of inmates disappeared from her ears. They never faded, just simply disappeared. She moved her head to look up from her knees. There was nothing but blackness and the bench she sat on. Luan stood up and looked all about her, finding that there was nothing else, for even the bench vanished.

A spotlight turned on, blinding her. She threw up her hands to lessen the light as it blasted her. A familiar voice began speaking.

"How could you?" Luan turned to see the speaker was none other than herself, sitting behind a desk that looked as if it belonged on a late night talk show. Her doppelgaenger held a look of disdain and pure hatred. Luan looked at her, afraid to even breathe in its presence. "How could you?" it spoke again, the voice filled with ever-growing rage.

"I-I-I-I," Luan stammered, trying to defend herself.

"How could you hurt your family?" another voice stated. She turned in its direction to find it was her parents, sitting in what appeared to be an area reserved for an audience when a show was being taped. Her mother was softly sobbing, her face buried away from their criminal daughter. Her father glared, presenting a face of disappointment, anger, and disgust she never thought was possible for a man like him. "How?" his voice reached her ears again. She tried once more but failed with getting any farther in her defense.

"Why did you hurt them?" she heard the twins voices in unison, turning her head to see them in a different part of the seating area. Their faces were fear incarnate, looking ready to cry. She couldn't even begin to get a sound to leave her mouth.

"I can't believe you did that," Leni voiced, coming from elsewhere in the seating. Luan was struggling, the weight of the world ready to crash onto her. She looked to the source of the light shining on her, hoping for things to get better, spotting Lisa as the operator. The distance between them afforded her no ability to see what was on her younger sister's face.

"What is wrong with you?" Luna's voice inquired. Luan saw her standing by the doppelgaenger, glaring with eyes that could mutilate.

"I'm never going to forgive you," Lynn's voice vowed. Luan looked to see that the sister she had crippled was in a wheelchair not more than a couple of yards from her.

"You're a monster," Lucy delivered, suddenly popping into existence behind Lynn. Luan was panicking, the verbal assault of her family surrounding her. She heard the heavy breathing of someone wearing a mask. She looked to see that a couch had sprung up opposite the desk with Lori sitting on it, an oxygen tank on the ground with a mask running from it to her mouth. All she did was stare at Luan, her looks speaking for her as she continued to breathe.

"You disgust me," Lincoln informed her. He was sitting in a chair that placed itself next to the couch. Luan looked at him, pain presenting itself at an exponential growth on her face. "You are an absolute monster." His barrage failed to take into account her own feelings, never letting up. "How dare you do all this? How dare you ever think I could love you? How dare you do all that you did?" The next set of words finally did her in. "I will never love you and I wish I was never your brother." The world finally loosed itself upon her. She tried to spew something out to appease her family, to defend herself, to earn some amount of redemption. Her family began their assault again; this time they weren't going to let up and began destroying her with their words.

Luan began screaming, attempting to bring herself back to brutal reality. She never let up in her screaming, closing her eyes and pulling at her hair to remove herself. She heard the door of her cell open, the footsteps of the guard rushing in. She still didn't open her eyes and squirmed when the guard tried grappling with her. A pain presented itself in her arm, the feeling of calm coursing through her veins. She fought it as much as she could, barely conscious of the fact that more guards had come into the cell and began moving her elsewhere. She didn't know where they were heading, only that it was away from her abode.

 _I really must be crazy_ , she thought to herself, eyes feeling heavy in spite of them being closed. Her emotional pain continued to haunt her, despite the passage of time. _They're going to lock me in the looney bin. They're going to lock me up because of my sins. My egregious sins. Is this God's punishment?_ Her thoughts continued to spin ever more down in her spiral of insanity.

 **Authors Note: I'm back from the dead! I am terribly sorry for leaving everyone without a chapter for so long. I can promise you all that I will not orphan this story until I see its end through. I would also like to take this time to announce that the end is near for the story. Now, that said, I am also glad to announce that my next story will be out soon and that it's a collaboration between me and ThisAccountKillsFascists. If you like what you've been reading so far, then I suggest you go and check out their story, "Loud Like Love" if you haven't done so. I would like to thank everyone for bearing with me as I write this tale with its long intervals between updates.**

 **When I said the end was near, I'm talking that another chapter, maybe two, will be the end of the story, with an epilogue to accompany it. So, please, stick around for the rest. And to those who are wondering, I'm going to make sure to finish this with it being the length of a novel. So, yeah. I'll be a novelist and you'll get a conclusion for this tale. Sorry if I sound narcissistic, but it feels good to be back. See you soon.**

 **Edit: Well, I guess this AN is going to be a little out of date soon. You'll know when you get to the epilogue.**


	10. Hopes in Dreams (pt 1)

Luan was sitting at a metal table that was much like the one she sat at when she was arrested. She stared into it, alone in the room. After a week of waiting, her lawyer was going to consult her. It normally would have surprised her to be all alone in the room but she could only assume that it was because she was in shackles. Instead, she couldn't care if the room was on fire since she felt distant from the world. She merely felt as if she was going through the motions of life. Nothing felt real. The door to the room opened, a well-dressed man with glasses walking through with a smile and leather briefcase that was clearly losing its leather.

"Guess what?" he spoke while taking a seat and setting his briefcase down on the table. Luan moved only her eyes to acknowledge his presence before replacing them to stare at the table. He pulled out a clump of papers and set them in front of her. She still failed to acknowledge the papers, in almost absolute dissonance from the real world. "You've got one of the best things for a person in your position: a plea deal." His voice was giddy as he informed her. His eyes almost looked ready to pop out of his head, with the glasses magnifying the effect. She moved slightly to look at him.

"What?" Her lips barely managed to push the word from her mouth.

"I got you a plea deal." Her look was slowly transitioning from one of fear and guilt that had intermingled with concern to something that was unable to be picked up by her lawyer momentarily. "Yeah. Apparently, you were found unfit to face trial and the prosecutor wrote out this plea deal that is _quite_ in your favor. Man, you sure did get lucky." Her expression seemed to have finally transformed enough for him to grow concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not signing it," she replied softly, her face full of a mixture of feelings. He balked at her refusal.

"You don't seem to understand–"

"I do understand," she cut him off. "And I'm not signing it." Her voice was more assertive this time. He adjusted his glasses, still refusing to believe what his ears heard.

"You don't want to sign this? Then fine. But first, let me explain something." He grabbed the papers and made sure she could read without the need of turning her head. "If you don't sign this, then here's what will happen. You will be convicted as an adult and lose quite a lot of time on the inside. You will be stuck with felons who have absolutely no remorse for their crimes." He drew closer to her from across the table. "We are talking thieves who beat people to death. Dealers who couldn't care less if you were able to pay them back or not, leaving you without a head. Gangsters who won't give a second thought if they catch you wearing another gang's markings or not." Luan's expression shifted slightly, throwing fear into the mix. He held a stone face, watching his client very carefully. "Lots of fun characters. And let's not forget about the showers. Now, if you do sign this deal, you will: get the help you need, be able to see your family more often, won't be stripped of half your rights the second you enter and leave, and you'll have a clean record after you're done with your debt. Will you please sign it?"

She mulled the words and options before her. She did need the help and she did know what might happen to her in those showers. But it didn't seem right to just sign this plea deal. She looked at the table, hoping her lawyer wasn't able to see her eyes. Finally, she hung her head and reached out her hand for as far as the shackles allowed.

"I'll sign it," she informed him, her voice laced with a tone that knew she had made a massive decision regarding her life. He smiled and handed her a pen, glad to see that she hadn't made a horrible choice. She moved her hand and left a signature at the dotted line.

"I'm glad you listened to reason," he told her before gathering the papers, examining them, and finally putting them in his briefcase. He then turned and began making his way out the door.

"Wait." He stopped in the doorway and turned back to face Luan. "Is there any chance I could get a letter out to my family?" He looked as if he were struggling to remember something. He finally glanced out past the doorway before turning back.

"It certainly looks that way but you might have to dictate it to someone; more than likely one of the guards." She stared at him with a quizzical look. "A guard will write it for you as you tell them the wording of the letter." She gave a subdued "Alright" before he signaled for one of the guards to obtain the materials and come to the room. He left with a quick goodbye and was replaced by a guard who held a notepad and pencil, ready to take down the words that would be told to her.

Lynn watched as her special chair system was being built on the stairs. Lana managed to build the steps to her bed in less than two days and was now mostly done with a skeleton of what the system would look like. Lisa provided a hand in making the blueprints and was making sure that Lana was following them as closely as possible. It wasn't anywhere near as fun as watching her favorite teams, but it sure did beat having to stare at a wall or listen to someone else's shows. She even grew curious as to how they were going to test her weight. She imagined them struggling with a bag full of rocks and trying to get them upstairs. A laugh emanated within her. Oh, how the little things could bring joy when you needed it most.

"I'm going to take a break," Lana informed Lisa after driving in another nail. An argument ensued between the two with Lisa insisting on finishing as soon as possible due to her need of attending to an experiment that was on a timed schedule. Lana argued back that she couldn't just build something so complex as quick as Lisa wanted it. This continued as they moved downstairs, Lynn unable to make out the words anymore when they finally moved far enough away. She dragged herself from the wall opposite the stairs and gazed upon it. It was beautiful, in her own eyes, to see something that would allow her a use that she no longer had; at least without massive difficulty. Satisfied in her viewing, she dragged herself away to Lincoln's door and knocked.

She could hear him move off his bed and open the door. He looked down and knelt, his regular smile widening a bit more after seeing her. He set aside the paintbrush in his hand before giving all of his attention to her.

"Hey, Lynn." His voice sounded overjoyed, lacking any sign of annoyance that would be normal should someone decide to interrupt him while he was doing one of his favorite activities, no matter who it was.

"Hey, Lincoln," she returned, "Are you busy?"

"No, I was looking at the instructions for a new model and checking if I had everything for the paint colors," he said, his voice switching to concern, "Did you need something?"

"I was just curious about what you were doing." She stated the truth, still hiding her underlying reasons. "Would you mind if I watched?"

"No, not at all. Could you hold this for a moment?" He passed the instructions to her and went to gathering his things, checking every so often for what was next. He finally laid some newspaper down and went to work building the newly opened model. She watched as he assembled it, amazed that he could find joy in doing what looked as if it were a menial activity. The fact he even set everything on the floor touched her. Lynn glanced at the paper on the floor and saw a headline that read in a way as to remind her of the attack. She ignored it, but failed, and finally chose to tell Lincoln of her reasons for coming to his room.

"Say, Lincoln?" He looked up from gluing a couple of parts together, stopping before anything came out of the tube. "I was wondering if... do you remember when you said you'd help me walk again?"

"Yeah and I meant it, too," he confirmed.

"Well... Is there any chance we could start tomorrow?" she asked with a slight nervousness in her words.

"Sure, but why tomorrow?" His puzzled face was genuine.

"I want it to be tomorrow because I want to get on a regular schedule with it, just like when I would train for..." She trailed but he knew what her next words were going to be.

"Okay, but when do you want to start tomorrow?"

"I was thinking early in the morning." He looked almost disheartened that she wanted to do it early in the day, but that quickly changed when he threw on an air of determination. They plotted out the details further before switching subjects. "Do you hate her, Lincoln?" He stared at her, curious to her meaning. "Hate her for all she's done to me, you, Lori, our family?" He still wasn't catching on until he realized who she was talking about.

"I... I don't hate her," he informed her, being more blunt than he wished to, "She's family and we shouldn't hate her." She felt betrayed by his words, but at the same time those very words held a kernel of truth that she couldn't ignore. She wanted to hate her older sister, wanted to get her revenge for all that happened. But she couldn't. Revenge wasn't so easy to obtain with the current situation and she was unsure if she could hold a grudge, but forgiveness wasn't going to be easy. Lincoln saw her true feelings. "I didn't say I forgave her, but I won't hate her."

"I think I should go," she dismissed herself, wrapping an emotional shell about her. She dragged herself out, ignoring his words and pleas to stay, to talk it out, but she would have none of it. His voice quit producing sound as she continued on her way. Lynn looked down the stairs, her eyes catching the photo of the family hanging on the wall. She looked on, seeing the way they all looked. Her heart broke when she saw the way Luan sat beneath her on the front step, both smiling as if nothing could ever turn them against each other, as if... there would be no chance of bad blood between them, as if she would never imagine the chance of losing out on walking for the rest of her life was there, forced upon her by her sister. Quickly did she move into her shared room, making haste that would have been reserved for an emergency and shut the door, leaning against it.

Lincoln sat on the ground, frustrated that she wouldn't give an ear to his reasoning. The model in its earliest form lay before him, begging to be put together. He hadn't the motivation to continue after the conversation he just had, putting it all on his desk for later assembly. He ran his fingers through his hair, thinking of a new way to pass the time, forcing the idea to try to talk to Lynn out of his head to better list some ideas. A short glance at the clock later, he chose to go and visit Lori, wanting to see if she was awake now. He went everyday since his last meeting with Ronnie Anne, vainly hoping and praying she would be conscious, disappointed each time upon his arrival.

It held little matter to him, for he would tell her all that was going on at home and the world, not sure if she would remember anything he had told her. He wasn't sure she could hear him, but still, his words were poured into her ears, for it made him feel better and allowed him to come to grips with reality better. Certainly, it was better to do this than feel crazy if he had to see some sort of therapist. The idea of seeing one felt... weird, made him uncomfortable.

He checked his shirt, making sure nothing was on it before leaving, satisfied that he wouldn't have to change his clothes. He walked past Lynn's room but felt it best not to pry further. Walking down the stairs, he glimpsed at the picture of the family as it hung, stopping for a look. Lincoln wanted this picture to be reality again. He saw Luan as she was sat beneath Lynn, each looking at the other with a sisterly love, not once dreaming of hurting the other from the looks of their faces. Why did life have to change so drastically from this picture? Why?

He shook his head, throwing the question away. Life was full of pain, but it was also full joy. Surely, things had to get better, right? He left the house, crossing the sundry streets that led to the hospital. He collected his thoughts, setting them up for his visit to Lori so that he could fill her in on life. He went up to her room, having memorized the path there. He opened the door, startling Bobby awake. He wasn't aware that anyone else was here.

"Sorry about that," Lincoln apologized.

"No, it's okay," Bobby replied, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He checked his watch. "I needed to get going anyway." He got out of the chair he had slept in, attempting to make himself more presentable. "How's life treating you?"

"It could be better," Lincoln spoke truthfully.

"Stupid question to ask, I know. Do you want anything, since I've got to grab some breakfast anyway?

"No, thank you," Lincoln declined. Bobby shrugged a little, still trying to wake up to the world. He walked over to Lori, kissing her on the forehead before saying goodbye to her and subsequently Lincoln. Lincoln turned to his eldest sister. Her eyes sat dormant in their closure, not stirring once since her first night stuck in a dreamscape. He pulled the chair that wasn't used by her boyfriend closer to her, minding the cords that were vital to her life.

"Hey, Lori. It's me, Lincoln." He studied her, still finding no sign of life outside the beeps and whirs of the machines that supported her. "I don't suppose it would help if I said I went into your room without permission, would it?" Nothing. "Yeah, that wasn't funny the first three times I said it." He settled in further to the seat. "Well, I got a new model. I know you would never find them interesting to build, but at least I got started and hope to finish it before you wake up soon." He always added that word after broaching the subject of her coma. It made him feel hopeful. "Lily still can't sleep, but she's getting better about her crying." Still nothing. "Lynn's going to start training to walk again and I'm going to help her with that." Nothing had changed.

"I found out that people who are in a coma can hear the world around them. Did I tell you that?" His voice was going a bit higher than normal. She still hadn't changed her state. "Do you want me to bring in your magazines and read them to you?" He couldn't bear to see her unresponsive to him. She had been like this each time he saw her, slowly driving him more mad with each visit. "Come on, Lori, please; just wake up." Nothing was his answer. "Please," he grabbed her left hand with both hands. "It's just not the same without you at home." His words felt as if they were falling on deaf ears. "I just want us to be a family again. Just wake up." He stared, anger his biggest feeling. He was angry at himself, angry he couldn't get her to wake up, angry he was the cause of his family's pain, angry he couldn't just snap his fingers to have it all go back to normal.

He had told himself he would shed no more tears. He wouldn't do so over the whole situation anymore than he had already. Her hand was warm, but with a slight chill at the fingertips. He set her hand back down in its original position, careful to not cause any injury. He sat back in his chair, letting his mind wander and wonder at what Bobby was doing during his visit with her. Lincoln was unsure if he talked the night away to her or if he had read to her but Lincoln still postulated nonetheless. He stared into nothingness, curious... did she move? He directed all attention to her face. He watched, waiting, wai– her eyes shifted, still closed.

"Lori?" he called, waiting for a response. A knock at the door alerted him to a doctor making the rounds.

"Sorry for interrupting your visit, but I'm here to check on her and make sure she's fine," he explained. Lincoln began backing away to allow the doctor to do his job when he saw an eye open.

"You... went..." Lori tried speaking. Lincoln and the doctor were astounded by her speaking to them. "You went... in my... room?" she finished. Even in her weakened state, he could hear the venom in her voice. The doctor rushed to grab a nurse, leaving the two alone in the room. Lincoln didn't waste a second. He went to her side, grabbing her hand in both of his.

"You're awake!?" he shouted, joy overcoming him. He smiled wider than he thought was possible.

"My room... you went in..." she kept trying to speak, her voice weak. He could feel her trying to tighten her grip on his left hand, her left eye glaring in spite of being barely open. The doctor came in, a couple of nurses assisting him. They had to tear the siblings apart so as to be unobstructed in their duties. He watched in a whirlwind of worry and happiness. The doctors did things he wasn't sure of for their strangeness to him, but he was sure they were helping her. To wait for them to be done, he pulled out his phone and sent a mass text to his family. _Good thing it's on silent_ , he thought to himself, glad to have obeyed the rules (at least in part) for being in this area of the hospital, knowing he would get a full scale assault with the responses.

After all was said and done, the hospital staff left the room, chatting in their lingo as they went their way. Lori was more awake, trying to raise herself but only meeting with failure, causing her to become out of breath. Lincoln didn't waste a second to be with her again. He held her hand, not caring if she magically mustered the strength required to strangle him.

"It's so good to have you awake again," he told her, wanting to crush her in a hug. Her heart rate monitor rose in tempo, revealing her fury.

"I'm going to turn you into a pretzel," she threatened, her heavy breathing interjecting itself every couple of words. She moved her right hand, trying to reach her brother with it. It moved, hovering a couple of inches above her chest, before it fell, unable to traverse any farther.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied, unable to process fear from her words. She found it bizarre he wasn't terrified of her.

"What happened?" she finally asked, moving her head slowly to take in her surroundings.

"You were..." he paused, trying to decide where to start with his answer. "In surgery and something happened, so you went into a coma." His words weren't false but he didn't want to tell her everything just yet.

"Why was I in surgery?" Her words filled him with dread. He hoped she would bother leaving it well enough alone for the moment, yet he had to tell her something.

"I'll tell you later." She never pushed the question again, too tired to really do so. They talked, catching up on lost time.

"How are you?" she asked. He knew what she meant, considering how tuckered she was from this momentous occasion.

"I was worried about you but I guess I don't have to anymore." His words were weighted with truth. He saw her smile, glad that she was awake to do so.

"That's good," she spoke, sleep seeping into her voice. Any hope of sleep was dashed when the rest of the family showed up, with the exception of Luan. Everyone rushed in, Lynn wheeling herself into the room after everyone had gone before her. Lori was encased in Louds, each vying for attention and to dote on her. The twins wanted to lay on the bed with her, kept at bay to stop them from potentially disconnecting vital machines. Lily was reaching out to her oldest sibling, wanting to be held by her but she, too, was kept away just enough to see her while being held by their mother.

Luna was the quietest in the group, not fighting to be in front of her sisters so as to gain attention. She had guilt on her face, barely noticeable if anyone had paid enough mind to look. Lynn was behind the family, watching on, her only company Lucy. Lincoln walked over to her, wanting to help in keeping her from feeling lonely on this day. Her face didn't change too much when she had left his room.

"Aren't you happy? We can finally be a family again," he said, wishing it would lift her spirits.

"No, we won't," she countered.

"Well, why not?" he was most disheartened that his words were having the opposite effect.

"Because Luan isn't here." She put her hands on her wheels and began turning around, stopping when Lori called out to her.

"Come here, Lynn." Lori's voice was hoarse. Lynn obeyed, not wanting to act asinine in front of the family. She wheeled over to the bed, stopping on the patient's right side. "What happened?" Lori tried to reach out to her little sister, failing to keep her arm outstretched.

"Don't worry about it," she told Lori, grabbing her hand and putting it back on the bed for her sister. Lori wrinkled her brows. Lynn followed up with "I'll tell you later." This relaxed Lori.

"I hate to interrupt you," the doctor had returned, poking his head into the room, "but we'll need to run some tests on her, so please, be prepared to leave soon." He left, making sure the family had understood. Everyone started to say their farewells. The twins hugged her, Lisa gave her own adieu, Luna hugged her as well. She assisted in getting the twins away from Lori, trying to comfort them as they looked ready to cry at the prospect of leaving their oldest sister. Leni hugged her, ready to cry as well, followed by Lynn, Lucy, and Lincoln, with their parents and lily rounding out the rest of the family, all saying goodbye in addition to their hugs. Everyone filed out of the room, Lincoln bringing up the rear.

"Hey Lincoln?" Lori said, yawning after she did so. Lincoln stopped.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Where's Bobby?"

"He slept here last night, but went home not too long ago." She smiled.

"Thanks. See you." Lincoln saw her close her eyes again, unable to help himself in worrying about her waking up again. This seeped away, replaced with Lynn's words reverberating in his head. He gave these words attention, finding them harder and harder to refute as he paid them more and more mind. He wanted to be a family again, more than anything else. But they couldn't be that without Luan. The ride home went by faster than he thought it would, all due to him thinking hard on Lynn's words.

 **Author's Notes: I can't believe it's been so long since my previous chapter. And I am sorry for leaving all of you this long. I didn't quit and I didn't die. Now, some of you are probably wondering why I had been away for so long. Well, I became very dissatisfied with my work as each chapter began feeling like more of the same. Then, I became quite demotivated after hearing that The loud Author quit. This was the person who made me want to write on here and I fell into a minor depression with the news. Next, I became busy with life and was further demotivated, not doing any sort of writing for months, which made things worse. I don't even know when the next chapter will come out at this point, but I am at least forcing myself to put in as much effort as I can muster.**

 **Now, onto some good news. I have begun gathering the proper equipment to start a youtube/alternate video site channel and will be going to cover stories and the art of storytelling, maybe some reviews. Who knows. I know, such a shameless plug, but I do want to be able to do what I love and I've had the idea for quite awhile now. So, if you ever want more of me or an update on this story/others, then this is the place to see it. My channel name will be listed in my profile. Hopefully, I'll get another chapter out soon. Take care**

 **Edit: I really must try to keep any promises I made in these damned notes. Oh well. It looks like I'll be done updating soon, which means the epilogue will arrive, so save these chapters while you can.**


	11. Hopes in Dreams (pt 2)

Everyone scattered to their own devices, going about the day as they wished or needed to. Lincoln paused while passing by Luan and Luna's room... well, he guessed it would be more proper to call it Luna's room now because of past events. What made him pause was when the realization of how quiet the room had become hit him. This room was, more or less, the namesake of the house and possibly the family as well. And yet, here it lay, devoid of the nature that was typical of the room. He debated if he should disturb the occupant. He thought better of it, choosing to carry on his way.

Luna sat in her room, oblivious to those outside the world she had become used to. She wouldn't care if a bomb was about to go off outside her door. _Her_ door. It felt bizarre to own the room. All her life she had someone to bunk with and now she had to own the room. She left it all as it was that fateful night, save for the changing of bedding for her own bed and any laundry that she needed to do. But Luan's bed, Luan's clothes, everything Luan owned was left where it had been lain. Luna sat in her beanbag chair, contemplating what she should do to keep herself busy. Nothing was presenting itself to interest her in doing it.

She pulled out a notepad and pencil, praying that lyrics for some song would rear its head. No such luck. Frustrated, she tossed the two aside, staring at the ceiling. She rubbed her face with both hands before putting them behind her head, fingers intertwined. The ceiling was more interesting than the last time she stared at it. It captured her feelings perfectly, with the giant crack that ran across it, looking like her heart. She didn't bother to steer her thoughts in any direction, wandering from one idea to the next, connected only by the thinnest of relations.

 _How did that quote go?_ she thought, reminiscing on a movie she hadn't paid any mind to in years. _'Does God stay in heaven...'_ How did that quote go? _'Does God stay in heaven because we didn't listen to him?'_ It was her favorite quote from that movie, but all these years and she forgot about it all. She could certainly give it another watch. Then she thought further on the quote. Did He really stay in heaven because people like her sisters didn't listen to him? Because of people like her? She no longer felt the warmth of memory lane surrounding her. It was because of her that her family suffered. God had been punishing her and the family for her love of Lincoln, she reasoned. Lynn? Her. Luan? Her. Lori? Her again. She forsook Him, ignored His teachings.

It mattered not if her family was at any fault; it was all her. It had to be. She cursed her name, thinking of every traitor from history, trying to pick a name to replace hers. She found one. It felt fitting, but at the same time it was something she knew carried too much weight behind it. It was one of such power, that anyone who knew it would be wary and keep a watchful eye, no matter the distance between them. But it was one that couldn't be taken by just anyone. No, she hadn't earned such a name, had she? She finally gave the name voice: "Judas." She hadn't done as he had in the same way, nor had it been anywhere near similar, but she had felt as if she was a traitor to at least her family.

Luna stopped in her wandering, pushing herself away from those recesses of her mind. She grabbed her music player, searching for songs to distract herself immediately. She hit play and waited for something to come on. "Sanity's Knocking" by Coppeelica showed up first. She moved on to the next song in her list. "End of the Punished" by Grace Three-Fold was her reply. She skipped it as well, wanting the next one to keep away from her feelings. "Mine Own Name" by Extremely Wary was shuffled to by the one feature she now regretted having on.

"Fuck!" She threw the player against the opposite wall in a sudden fit of rage, narrowly missing the window. The player shattered on impact, denting the wall slightly. She put her face in her hands, blocking out her tiny world. A knock came at her door, making her open it and see the expanse behind it. She looked around, then looked at her feet, noticing Lynn there.

"Are you okay?" Lynn asked. Luna could see she was genuine in her concern. She really did care to see what was going on.

"I'm just... Yeah, I'm fine," Luna lied, running her hand through her hair.

"I heard you shout in–"

"I said I'm fine," Luna cut her off. Lynn stared at her, seeing through her falsehood. Luna couldn't bear it anymore. "Get in here, then," she commanded in a huff. Lynn dragged herself into the room, Luna waiting to close the door until Lynn had enough distance. "Take a seat," Luna motioned toward the beanbag and pulled over her drum stool. Lynn pulled herself onto the chair, glad for something that didn't require her to climb onto it. Silence followed, not overstaying it's "welcome". "I need to talk to someone but I don't want to," Luna pushed the words into the open, finishing with "Too bad 'need' and 'want' are two different things." She had a nervous smile that was dropped after the final syllable.

"What do you do need to talk about?" Lynn probed. She was grateful that people were wanting to spend time with her, even if it wasn't to talk about a subject that was all rainbows and sunshine.

"I just..." Luna stalled, "Do you remember the movie 'Kid Spies two: Hopes in Dreams'?"

"Oh, yeah. I kind of remember that movie," Lynn liked the direction their talk was going.

"Well, do you remember the quote 'Does God stay in heaven because we didn't listen to him'?" Luna asked. Lynn tried to recall the scene for the quote.

"I think so," was her reply. "What are you trying to say?"

"Well, what if He really does?" Luna looked at the floor, unable to maintain facial contact with her younger sister.

"Wha–"

"I'm saying I didn't listen and now my family is paying for my sins." Luna looked Lynn right in the eye as she finished the sentence. Lynn's face drained, shock poised as she failed to notice her sister's feelings before now.

"Oh." She didn't know how to respond. "Luna, you don–"

"Don't tell me not to feel guilty," Luna interjected. "This was all me." Luna's voice began rising slowly, both in pitch and level.

"Luna–," Lynn tried.

"I could've stopped all of this. I could've kept our family together. I failed in listening and now..." she trailed, her emotions in absolute turmoil. "It was because of me you were crippled, because of me Lori got put into a coma, me that Luan got locked up." She wanted to simply break down. Lynn watched on, waiting for it all to run its course. "All of this was me, Lynn. Me." Silence followed and Luna returned her face to the floor. "I got caught and you paid for it."

"You got caught doing what?" Lynn's interest was piqued. Luna felt sheepish.

"I left my music player in the bathroom and it was occupied." Her voice had returned to a more normal level. "Instead of waiting, I went in since I got a new album and hadn't listened to it yet. Lincoln went in after me and..." Lynn waited. "I was tempted to look in on him." Luna couldn't bear to even face Lynn's direction. "I didn't but Luan got it on video. She knew what I had almost done and blackmailed me. If I had just waited..." Luna didn't bother to finish.

"I didn't realize," Lynn stated awkwardly. "So... you..."

"Yes, I love him and I'm disgusted with myself." Luna straightened upright on her seat, still unable to look in Lynn's direction. Lynn was trying to remember if she had been told about this but was unable to discern if it was an actuality. Nonetheless, she was rattled that Luna loved Lincoln the same way she did. She remembered all too well what another sister had done to her, one who also loved their brother. "I know about you and him." Luna's voice sounded distant, depriving itself of as much emotion as she could make it. Lynn began panicking, preparing for another incident. All signs looked to be pointing that direction. She waited, knowing that if she was going to be attacked, little could be done to save her from it. Escape was a pointless idea, hope becoming her only shield. Luna chanced a peek at Lynn, spotting the terror she had created, if only by accident.

"I'm sorry if I scared you, Lynn. Your secret's safe with me," Luna told her. This did little to ease Lynn's fears, even less so for the memories that surfaced. "Here let me–" Luna started as she stood up.

"Just stay right there," Lynn commanded, eyes starting to widen. Her hands were held up to support her words. Luna obeyed.

"I'm not–"

"Just please listen to me and stay right there," Lynn ordered. Luna conceded and sat back on her stool. Silence engulfed the two, the day wasting fast. Neither wanted to talk nor did they want to stay in the same room. And yet they stayed. The sun soon loomed low in the sky, alerting the house to dinner's arrival. This event was what forced them out the door, the room having been vacated at long last. The atmosphere finally began its slow lifting of the depression about the house. Conversations were more abundant than the day before. Dinner was soon over, everyone all the more cheery. The only one who didn't join in the cheeriness was Lynn. She noticed the one empty seat at her table. The family broke apart again.

Lynn hurried to her room, wishing the day would end quickly and without another thought. She prepared for bed, long before the rest of the family would and turned in, annoyed with the remaining daylight. The ceiling shifted into different shades of the same color, slowly presenting the effect of counting sheep for her without any conscious effort. Her eyes severed the world from her and she drifted. Swirls of a void surrounded her, waiting for the time to assemble in a manner deemed perfect.

Finally, the construction began, with her none the wiser. She was in her bed, day pouring through the curtains. Not one sound was heard in the house. She could smell pancakes instead, enticing her to investigate. The blankets were tossed aside and she pulled her legs over the bed, dropping to find... that she could support her weight. The feeling was off, but nice nonetheless. She scurried on, setting the door just far enough to look out. The halls were empty, every door closed, and the smell of pancakes stronger than before. Chancing the chaos that would be inevitable, she left the confines of the room. Mice could be heard in the walls, such was the silence.

Down the stairs, she snuck her way to the doorway of the kitchen. The smells of the breakfast were particularly inviting, touches of bacon and toast intermingling with the food she had come down for originally. The plate was piled, ready for consumption as it sat on the counter. Lynn looked about, the empty house too suspicious for this great food. She trusted the food, taking it to the table and eating it. Upon finishing, she returned the plate to the kitchen. A small object caught her eye. It was a gag flower, left right in the spot the plate had occupied. Surely it hadn't been left there when she grabbed the plate and it most certainly couldn't have been placed there by someone else. She wrote it off as an oddity that simply was coincidence.

Breakfast done and over with, she thought it best to steal a shower before anyone else could. Just as quietly as she snuck downstairs did she sneak up, wary of others ready to pounce on the bathroom. No contest was made and she enjoyed a warm time, glad to stand in the tub in what she would describe as an eternity of sitting. She opened the curtain, ready to grab a towel when a whoopee cushion was conjured into existence on the sink's edge sometime during her shower. Lynn nearly slipped at it's existence. Surely she wasn't imagining it. A quick poke later and it felt as real as her walking. She made her remaining time in the bathroom short, hoping she wouldn't meet whomever set the gag in there. A return to her room allowed for clean clothing. There was no sign of Lucy but this wasn't surprising to Lynn; she even suspected the gags were related to her little sister. The sun felt good coming from the window, spurring her to do what she dreamed of rarely, yet potently: riding her bike. She no longer cared about being silent, choosing to bolt down the stairs, and out the door.

Lynn sprinted toward the garage, failing to notice the van was gone. Instead, she saw the door wide open, giving her cause to slow down to a brisk walk, and forced to stop at the entrance. Luan was humming, moving boxes around and looking through each one she grabbed if the fancy struck her. Lynn stood dumbstruck, unsure of what to do. Luan moved a box just far enough to see her little sister, causing her to turn fully in her spot.

"Oh hey, Lynn," Luan called. Lynn failed to form any coherent words, babbling slightly. Luan turned back around, stooped down, and began walking toward Lynn with her hand held behind her back. Lynn's legs refused to budge in spite of her mind protesting. Everything was functioning internally, unlike her exterior which continued to fail in all aspects of survival. Luan's hand moved to the front of her body. Lynn's eyes bulged in horror as she saw the thing held to be a bat. Luan was within striking distance, a smile on her face. Lynn crumpled, holding her head in her hands in a desperate attempt to shield herself from the blows. She closed her eyes, trying not to see the attack.

"You okay, Lynn?" Luan asked. No blows were struck from what could be felt. Lynn gently opened her eyes to see Luan holding the bat out to her with the handle between them, a smile no longer present. Lynn stood up, unsure of what to do. "I found your lucky bat and thought you might want it to help in the upcoming season."

"You found Slugger?" Lynn queried.

"Yep. I went looking for something and unboxed some memories. I figured you might want to revisit your first Grand Slam with it." Luan's braced smile returned. Lynn took the bat, relishing the feel as she wrapped her hands around the barrel.

"I thought this broke in two when I hit that Grand Slam," Lynn mused whilst exploring every inch of it.

"I don't remember that but I hope it won't break when you hit another one," Luan shrugged, turning to move back to the boxes she had been messing with earlier. Lynn shuffled forward absentmindedly to reach the bike near Luan, still feeling the bat with vigorous interest. Her hands wrapped around the grip, twisting it with glee. She stood directly behind Luan, grip held tightly with both hands. A primal feeling began surfacing within her. Luan wouldn't be able to defend herself after the first swing. She certainly couldn't walk anymore after a few more swings. Lynn raised the bat readying herself to begin swinging. Luan certainly wouldn't be able to move anymore with even more swings. Luan would finally be able to feel how Lynn felt. Luan would get what she deserved. Lynn would… be just like Luan. She was poised to hit the comedienne, Luan humming to herself while none the wiser. Lynn froze, the thought of becoming her sister snapping her to her senses. This wasn't right when it happened to her and it shouldn't happen to anyone else.

"Hey, Luan?"

"Yeah. You need something?" Luan turned around, the handle of the bat extended to her.

"I think you might need this more than me," Lynn offered with a smile. Luan stood, confusion leaking onto her face.

"Are you sure? You could need the extra luck," Luan declined, hurt taking shape.

"I've already got enough good luck," Lynn replied through gritted teeth, a smile forced into existence, causing great pain, each word escalating the pain exponentially. Luan seemed conflicted, not sure why she should take it. _Just take the damn bat!_ Lynn screamed internally, _I don't want to hurt you. Just take it!_ Luan grabbed the lucky object, unsure of why Lynn wouldn't keep it, and set it to the side. Relief flowed through her. She no longer felt able to become a monster. Another peek at Luan began to proclaim otherwise. Lynn wished to explain why she gave it back; however, she would be unable to do so if she didn't want to escalate things. Instead, an idea sprouted. "Say, Luan?"

"Yeah?" the comedienne didn't have any pep in her voice.

"Want to get some ice cream?" Lynn proffered. Luan turned to face her, the pep starting to return, and flashed a smile.

"Sure," she gave in glee. "When do you want to leave?"

"I was thinking now would be a good time."

"Alright. Just let me get some cash an–"

"I was also thinking of paying for the both of us, as a thank you," Lynn interrupted. Luan smiled even bigger.

"Thanks." Luan stood up and embraced her sister. Lynn returned the gesture, closing her eyes. Luan felt warm, very warm. She opened her eyes and saw she was in bed, the moon's beams seeping through the curtains. She sought out the source of the heat, catching Lucy clung to her side. The snores being emitted from her younger sister were a good sign of her having been there for awhile. _Cannot forgive, cannot forget_ , she thought to herself as she drifted back to the land of slumber. The rest of the night was empty for her, giving its own peace.

Luan, too, felt more at peace. Her meeting earlier had helped to put her more at ease. She simply needed to wait and see if her letter would get to her family with little trouble. Maybe she could get the chance to right her wrongs; the chance to get help, not just for her, but those whom she hurt as well. Maybe. The word brought solace she had never known during her incarceration. Hope, was it? The name for this feeling had to be hope, she was so sure. There was one thing she did know for sure and that was that lights were going to be shut off in a short few minutes.

Luan curled up on the mattress, used to not sleeping with a blanket (though she rarely was able to sleep) in the cell. Her eyes grew heavier with each blink, the lids growing closer and closer. She finally closed them, succumbing to the temptation of sleep, only to shoot them back open and find herself in the living room of her house. She felt a couch pillow beneath her head, soft and plush, just as she remembered it. She was home at long last! She sat up, stretching and soaking in the sun that leaked through the windows. One thing was noticeable, however, and that was how little noise there was in the house. She listened, waiting for a sign that she wasn't alone. A teacup being set on a plate sounded off from upstairs.

She jumped off the couch, racing to meet whomever was there. Her heart brimmed with joy at the idea of seeing her family again, giving her the idea that maybe she had been stuck in a dream all along. She burst through the door of Lola and Lana's room, expecting the former to be there with a tea party in progress, instead being greeted by the sight of two of her own doppelgaengers, each seated around the table. One of the Luans kept looking around, darting her eyes and head about the room, a blank expression ever present on her face. The other one picked up the teapot, filling a small cup and placed it at an open spot between her and the other Luan present at the table.

"Who are you?" Luan investigated, unnerved with the sight before her.

"We're you," the Luan hosting the party informed her, a pleasant smile present. "Won't you please sit down and join us?" Luan sat down at the seat with fresh tea, wary of the situation. "Thank you for joining us. Would you like anything to eat?"

"No, thank you. I just… I just want to know why I'm here and why you two are here," Luan spoke bluntly. The hostess clasped her hands together.

"I can see we're moving past pleasantries and straight into the subject." The hostess was still acting kind. She pushed a plate with cookies toward Luan. Luan picked one up and began nibbling on it in spite of her earlier words. The third Luan kept on with her previous actions. "You see, you're here because we'd like to thank you for taking the first step and seeking help." Luan set down the cookie.

"Really?" was her reply.

"Yes. After all you've done, it should only be right that you do what must be done to prevent future episodes." The hostess took a sip of her tea. "We wouldn't want her to take control again, now would we?" she gestured toward the silent Luan. Luan agreed, sipping on her own tea. It tasted quite sweet, feeling like a sugar factory.

"It's certainly sweet. Reminds me of the tea Lola makes," Luan chuckled, glad to experience something pleasant in her dreams for what felt to be in a good while.

"The tea's only as sweet as you want it to be," the hostess informed her. "But I do believe we should be on our way soon. We have somewhere to be and I wouldn't like to be rude by arriving late," the hosting Luan pointed toward the third Luan. "Yet there's enough time for us to converse, should you want to." Luan leaned back on the tiny chair.

"How much help do you think I need?" she asked, not sure of where to begin.

"I don't think that's for me to say," the hostess responded. Luan, dissatisfied with the answer asked another question.

"Will I ever be able to see you again?" The hostess shrugged.

"Maybe, but I don't know when or why. Why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to see just how crazy I had to be to visit you again," Luan replied with a grin. "I won't keep you if you have somewhere to be." With this, the Luans bid each other adieu, with the third Luan simply not responding and instead had to be led out of the room by the hostess. Luan waited in her seat, sipping on the tea in her cup, delighted at a taste of home. She heard the front door close, sitting in silence. She didn't like being alone but the change of scenery made it all the more tolerable. Home felt good. And so did she.

 **Author's Notes: This took me too long to finish. I went through this chapter again and again, paring what I could and this is what I am left with. I'm sorry if I seem too heavy-handed in this chapter but I wasn't able to remove much without a complete rework of the chapter. This said, the next chapter should be out soon. I also am planning on doing a rewrite of this story sometime in the future but I am unsure if I should leave this up when that happens.**

 **Edit: I am become editor, destroyer of mistakes.**


	12. A Loud Mind

Lincoln felt series of pokes in his side. The blankets dampened the feeling but there was still plenty of give to make him wake up. A familiar voice accompanied the pokes, though he was too tired to make it out just yet.

"Come on, Lincoln, wake up," he heard, finally realizing the words belonged to Lynn. He opened his eyes, looking to see his sister poking him with a stick. The sun was just barely peeking out, a ray here and there poking through his blinds. She didn't stop poking until he threw his blankets off.

"I'm up, I'm up," he told her rubbing the sleep from his eyes. She smiled, glad with her success.

"I'll meet you downstairs when you're ready," she informed him, scooting out of the room with great speed. He shut the door behind her, throwing on all of his clothes for the day with the speed that tiredness would afford him. He yawned as he left, not wanting to be up with the sun, but he remembered his promise to his sister and this filled him with newfound energy. He went downstairs, smelling what might be his breakfast. He walked into the kitchen, greeted by breakfast set for two, Lynn sitting with a plate before her, smiling more than he had seen her do prior. "Surprise!" she shouted, throwing her arms into the air.

"What's the occasion?" he asked, unsure of why she went through all the trouble of preparing this meal.

"Well," she began, "I thought I'd thank you for helping me to get back on my feet." She sighed as she caught the pun, leading Lincoln to chuckle. "I also was planning on taking the day off. Maybe a stroll." He sat down, glad to have the day off.

"Well, a stroll sounds nice," he added. "How did you make this, though?" He couldn't believe she made this all by herself.

"I had a bit of help from Lucy in putting this together," Lynn explained, digging into the meal. Lincoln looked at the plate in front of him, spotting the signs on each strip of bacon, pancakes, and the pile of eggs, that Lucy had a hand in cooking it. "Is something wrong?" she asked after finishing a bite of eggs, noticing he hadn't started on his own food.

"No, it looks good," he complimented, finally taking a bite of some pancakes. Lynn smiled. They went about finishing their breakfast, making small talk here and there. "Remind me to thank Lucy for this," he told his sister.

"You're quite welcome," he heard Lucy say right behind him. He jumped, scolding her. Lynn laughed, having seen her sister sneak up on him. "Sorry. I just wanted to mess with you," she apologized with a grin.

"Well, thanks for the scare and breakfast," he reiterated, waiting for his heart to calm down.

"Don't be mad at her. It was my idea," Lynn admitted. "Besides, we should get going before the heat sets in for the day." She dropped to the floor, scooting out of the kitchen with Lincoln in tow. Lucy grabbed the dishes and set about with her own duties for the day. Lincoln set Lynn's wheelchair at the bottom of the steps outside, waiting for her to climb in. She did so with lightning speed, having gotten used to climbing the metal device. They set off after he ensured she was settled in, her wheels keeping pace with his legs. Whenever they stopped, she would grab his hand, happy for the ability to do so. When moving on, she became irritated with being unable to keep it so, forcing him to comfort her.

"Soon enough," he would console her, hoping she would be satisfied for the moment, wanting to make it last just like she did. She accepted it, more out of necessity than anything else.

"How do you like the chair Lana built you?" he asked, the park coming into sight.

"I love it, if only because I can go up and down the stairs much faster," she spoke with a grand grin, "That and it helps keep my arms strong." Her grin was as big as the one she had on their first date, he noticed. He felt happier that she was much happier compared to just a week ago. They were moving down the path into the park, taking in the birds chirping.

"Need to rest?" he asked as they came near a bench, trying to disguise his own want of sitting.

"Not particularly, but I do want to just enjoy the scenery," was her reply, knowing full well what he was wanting to do. He took a seat at one end and she pulled up to him, grabbing his hand and intertwining their fingers. They sat, love-struck smiles on their faces as they watched joggers move by. A man in a wheelchair flew by, ignorant of anything not in his path.

"I wonder what his emergency is. Looked like he was racing somewhere," Lincoln voiced his thoughts.

"Yeah, did you see what he was wearing? It appeared to be a tracksuit," she responded. "I really wonder if there are sports for those like me." There was a glimmer of hope in her voice.

"If there is, then why didn't you know about it?"

"Surely there's something you love and don't know everything about." He couldn't argue much with her on that point, choosing to concede with a shrug.

"We can certainly look into it when we get back," he conversed.

"Yeah. Say, do you want to go see Lori before she comes back home?" Lynn shifted the conversation. Lincoln looked at her.

"If that's where you want to go, then that's where we'll go," was his answer and off they set. Words were rarely exchanged during their trip, their company simply being all that they wished for. Soon, they found themselves outside Lori's room. "Are you sure? You haven't been here since she woke up."

"Of course I'm sure," she punctuated her words by pushing open the door. She surprised herself by forgetting how easy the doors at the hospital tended to be to open them. Inside, Bobby was spending time with the patient, each giggling and nuzzling the other, pet names being thrown around. It truly was a good sign of health.

"I'm so glad I got to see you before my big trip," Bobby told Lori.

"I'm glad too, but I don't want you to be late," she reciprocated, looking at the clock. He looked at the time and saw she was right. A quick goodbye kiss later and he left, addressing the others in the room before disappearing.

"Hey, guys" Lori called to her two siblings, "Did you get here with the rest of the family?"

"No, we strolled here," Lincoln explained without missing a beat. Lori was still happy to receive a visit.

"Haven't seen you here in awhile, Lynn," Lori addressed. "Why don't you come on over here?" she beckoned. Lynn went over, Lincoln keeping his distance, trying to allow time for just the two of them. "So what happened to you, Lynn?" Lynn had hoped she wouldn't address her current state of walking.

"Oh, I'll tell you when we get home," Lynn fed her. "What's going on with you?" She wished the change in direction would continue where she had set it.

"Well, I get to walk around with a cane for a week since I still need a little help, but after that, I'll be good to go until my stitches need to be taken out." Lori looked relieved that she could go home and enjoy her life again.

"Where are your stitches at?" Lynn queried. Lori showed her, careful not to reveal anything else beneath the gown.

"Apparently my right lung got hit, but at least it wasn't bad enough to remove." Lori adjusted back to being properly covered. "So when can you move on to crutches?" Lynn was caught off guard.

"I don't know when," she procrastinated.

"I just wanted to know when to give you this cane," Lori held up what was hers for the next week. Lynn continued to beat around the bush.

"It might be better suited for someone else."

"Oh, don't be so ridiculous. You'll be needing this right before you can run around the house. I mean, it's not like your crippled for..." Lori trailed, finally noticing Lynn's expression. "I'm so sorry Lynn. I didn't realize."

"It's not your fault. There is a chance that I won't be stuck in this damn chair, but I don't know when," Lynn said. Lori blushed at being so insensitive.

"Nobody told me about that. I just remember you when I came to and then that was that. I tried to ask about you but they kept telling me you told them not to answer."

"I figured it's better to hear it from me than anyone else. Besides, what was it like being in a coma." Lynn applauded herself internally for the swap. Lincoln came over to stand by her side, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, why don't you tell her about your coma," he agreed. If Lynn was telepathic, she would have thanked him without letting Lori know.

"Let's see," Lori began, "I remember there being just nothing. I saw only nothing, not even the ground felt solid. next there were a bunch of voices and they spoke only gibberish. I don't remember much else, but I do recall just being stuck in our house. Nothing would open if it led outside. Then I heard Lincoln's voice from outside and the front door opened and I woke up." Lori looked at the bed, eyes staring into the distance. "Is Luan still locked up?" she laid upon her siblings.

"I think so. Why?" Lynn replied, confused.

"She was the one that did this to you?" Lori asked, still staring at the bed. Lynn hesitated before answering "Yes".

"Any idea why she did it?" Lori refused to leave the subject.

"I haven't the faintest clue," Lynn lied, wanting to drop it as fast as she could. Even Lincoln was looking uncomfortable. "Are you wanting some breakfast?"

"The nurses will come by with a cart. I'll get something then," Lori explained, no longer keeping a blank stare. Lincoln stole her attention, doing as much as he could to stall her from going back to Lynn about anything with her injuries. Lynn shook Luan from her mind, wanting to enjoy their time together.

Luan shook with the bumpy road. Her journey was supposed to be short, yet it felt long. She had all her possessions from the beginning with her, waiting to be taken until she had left for good. There was a guard in the back of the van with her, but he kept silent. She didn't expect conversation, but she also should have expected to be the only prisoner on this journey. No, no. Patient. That's what she was now. She had to remind herself of this. The windows were caged, allowing a limited view of the outside, yet the world looked nice nonetheless.

A building was drawing closer. Her final stop, she reasoned. Never did she imagine life in an asylum, particularly as a resident. They pulled up and she was escorted out of the vehicle, hands and feet bound in chains. She didn't mind the limited motion too much, since it would delay her from going inside too quickly. She followed the guards escorting her, not wanting to give them reason to carry her through the place until she was where she needed to be. She clutched her belongings, the closest thing she had to a security blanket. The escort arrived at a window with an attendant behind it. She followed the officer's instructions through the event, barely noticing a few orderlies coming over.

Luan was finally processed and handed over to the orderlies. Everything that made her who she was, such as her scrunchy, her fake flower, even her clothing choice, had been taken. She was made to put on a patient's gown and outfit, the whole thing white. The halls were bleak, with barely a colored flyer dotting the walls. A case of wonder and fear filled her. She was shown to her room, a small area with a bed and a desk, a small chair placed at the desk. The rest of the room was empty. A doctor approached the group of orderlies.

"Ah, I see you were being shown to your room," he addressed her, his voice cheery. It disarmed the fear she had, bringing great comfort in this fortress of crazy. "Show her to my office. I'll be there in a minute," he ordered the escorts. She was moved from the room through another series of hallways, lost in the maze. _No wonder you hear horror stories about these places. You can't leave if you can't navigate_ , she thought to herself, trying to find a touch of comedy in her situation. Eventually she stopped and was ushered into what she presumed to be the doctor's office. The doctor arrived shortly after she did and dismissed the orderlies.

"Ah, yes, I'm glad to be meeting you. My name is Dr. Ling. I read up on your case file and I must say that I have yet see to anything else like it," he spoke, wrapping his fingers together. His tone was light, still bringing her comfort. "Closest I can think of is murder for the sake of thinking there's a conspiracy against you." He shifted, not wanting to give her any more worry. "I do want to know more about you, at least outside of your case." She could see the sincerity in his eyes behind his glasses.

"Well, I was a comedienne. I enjoyed making people laugh and watch their day brighten up." She smiled at the fond memories. "I performed at birthday parties. Those were always fun."

"You enjoyed cheering up others. Certainly you performed for countless people, correct?" he interjected.

"Yeah. I made some good money with it, but..." she trailed.

"But?" he urged.

"I don't think I can ever do what I loved again," she finished, her voice somber

"Well, a lot can change in a few years. You might regain that spark for comedy by the time you leave," he spoke. He had unraveled his fingers, setting his hands behind his head. She knew that this was a part of her deal, but the realization of _years_ passing by struck her hard. She hid this from the doctor.

"You really think so?" she asked, trying to stay on track.

"Stranger things have happened, though confidentiality keeps me from talking about half of them," he told her with a wide grin. "Allow me to shift the subject a bit, now that you seem a bit more comfortable." He readjusted himself, putting his hands back on his desk with them intertwined. "I have given myself over to the study of mental health and through the years, I have constantly been testing new methods of therapy and ways to help those with problems." Luan thought he was barely forty, but he spoke like he was seventy, his face reflecting this. "Some of what I have done is rather different to how others work in my field and I discovered unorthodox ways of treatment." She stiffened after hearing this. He paused, seeing her no longer as comfortable as she had been.

"Please continue," she spoke with a mild tremble.

"Although what I do is unique for today, I always make sure that it won't harm a patient and make the problem worse. I always check with a colleague or two to make sure it could work. Otherwise, I don't go through with it and begin looking for something else to help my patient." He leaned back in his chair. "So as you can see, you're in good hands here at Saint Dymphna's Mental Hospital." He stood up and shook her hand, releasing it just as quickly. "Come along. I think it best if you were shown the rest of the hospital." He made his words reality as he walked by her and held the door open, a hand to usher her through. She obliged and a sense of wonder intermingled with terror as she followed him, still thinking about the walls. Her stomach growled quietly. Maybe she could get some food later.

Lori had finished her meal. Lincoln kept conversing with her, drawing all attention to himself. It was working since she was unable to properly give Lynn much of any thought. Lynn was glad he would try to keep old wounds from opening.

"I sure am glad I'll be getting to enjoy some food at home," Lori proclaimed, stretching as she did so. Just from looking at it, Lincoln and Lynn could tell the food didn't look too good.

"And I'm sure we'll be glad to have you enjoy some," Lincoln softly chuckled. A knock on the door interrupted them.

"I didn't know you two were coming over," their father spoke. They were just as surprised as he was. But he was still welcome nonetheless.

"Sorry, we should've just left a note for where we were going," Lynn spoke up. She did leave a note to say they had left but not as to where, though this was partially rectified as to when they would be back.

"Well, at least I don't have to drive all over hill and dale to get you guys." He put on a smile, even with as ragged as he looked. "Alright, Lori, it looks like you get to come home right now. I spoke with the people at the front desk and everything checks out." He paused while he brought over a bag. "I assume you'll want to get dressed before we leave. And don't worry, Leni picked out your clothes," he added on as he could see Lori get a worried look. She smiled and took the bag into the bathroom, hobbling along with her cane. Lincoln distracted their father until Lori came out and the whole family left for the van. Lynn was surprised by how quick Lori was.

They reached the van and climbed in. Their father set Lynn's chair in the front row of the backseats since Lynn climbed into the seats directly behind. A small wink was given to Lincoln, making him aware of why she picked that spot. The van set itself into motion and began its trek toward home. She grabbed Lincoln's hand, intertwining their fingers.

"Just my way of saying thank you for the walk," she whispered, nearly giggling.

"Wouldn't it be a roll for you?" he joked, smiling as he saw her suppress her laughter.

"You used up your one free pass for puns," she delivered. He knew it was a fake threat, seeing as she was still giggling.

"Worth it," he countered. They stayed that way all the way home until they were forced to drop the intimacy they had from view. Lincoln assisted Lynn out of the vehicle, and helped in whatever ways he could. The family went up to the front door of the house and opened it. Every other member of the house was standing there, a "Welcome Home" banner hung up behind them. Lori barely got in the house before being assailed with hugs and kind words of how everyone was happy she came home. Even the members who were at the hospital with her joined them.

Soon, the celebrations led to the passing out of cake, a sweet beginning to life back home. Lori was kept busy, not once being able to find time for a thought for herself. Lynn stayed at the table, glad life was feeling more normal. Lincoln took notice of his sister's absence and joined her.

"Why don't you join us?" he asked. She had a bittersweet smile.

"I just don't think it'd be a good idea. Something seems to be missing," she explained. He understood immediately.

"It's made even worse without you," he told her. She still wouldn't budge on the issue.

"Am I all the worst for it?" she inquired.

"I don't think so, but you could be all the better if you didn't keep a distance." She felt the words points as she failed to counter. "What's really the issue?" She sighed, finally wanting to get the issue off her chest.

"I have dreams where I'm in a position to hurt Luan. Hurt her as she hurt me, you, Lori, the family. I usually stop myself from doing anything, but I still feel monstrous for the idea." She looked at him, unsure of what to think. "Am I really a monster, Lincoln?" He pondered her words carefully before answering.

"No. Those dreams are what separate you from her. You at least try to not harm her. She didn't do that for you." His words were sweet and thick with the conviction he gave them.

"Then am I a monster for not forgiving her?" She was still worried.

"I have forgiven her for what she did to me, Lori, and our family," he informed her, "but I won't forgive her for what she did to you until you can." Lynn smiled, happy with the support. "Now come on, everyone might think something's up," he called to her as he left her side. She joined in on the festivities, a renewed vigor filling her. The house had managed to reclaim its name, fulfilling its requirements to be known as loud. The clang of the mail slot quieted everyone, telling them there was something urgent requiring their attention. Lincoln went over and grabbed it, seeing it was from Luan.

Luan stepped back into her room, her tour done with. Dr. Ling stood beside her, still smiling and being friendly to her.

"Now that you've seen the place, do you have any questions?" he asked. She stood quietly, thinking of a few.

"Will… will I be able to wear my scrunchy?" she inquired. She missed a part of her that was always there, sticking to her as much as her personality.

"I'm afraid not, at least for the next month. We need to observe you and see how much of a danger you are to yourself, as well as others. But should you be on your best behavior, then there is a chance of it being only the one month. We would need to keep you in here or in a designated area for you to be able to wear it as well," he explained. She looked disappointed at the answer.

"And I'm assuming the rest is true for my normal clothes?"

"I'm afraid so, although lengths of time for that are more uncertain." She didn't like either answer, but this was it. Certainly it had to be better than her other choice of staying in the big house.

"Will my family be able to visit me?" She barely got the words out, unsure if she wanted her family to see her like this, unsure if she wanted her family to see her at all.

"It is possible, although they may come for reasons other than strictly visiting. You'll see soon enough," he informed her. She was puzzled by his words, but she would soon find out if she stuck around long enough. "Now, I know that things are going to take some getting used to, but I managed to allow for you to keep one book in here from the library at any given time." She saw the area on her tour but they didn't stop in.

"Thank you, Dr. Ling," she spoke, grateful that there was something to help pass the time. She lay down on the bed, the doctor seeing himself out. Luan looked up at the ceiling, wondering if her letter had arrived.

Lynn lay in her own bed, the letter in hand. She kept re-reading it, soaking in its words. Once more she read it:

 _Dear Family,_

 _I know that what I did was wrong and hurt you more than I can describe. I tore us apart and I am paying for it now. I'm going to get help and I hope you do as well. I'm sorry Mom and Dad, for what I've done to you. I hope you don't blame yourselves as this was all my fault. I'm sorry Lori, for stabbing you and causing your coma. I'm sorry Luna, for leaving you alone for the next few years as well as blackmailing you. I'm sorry Lana, Lola, and Leni, for scaring you with my actions. I'm sorry Lily, for not being around to see you grow up. I'm sorry Lincoln, for hurting you by making you watch me tear apart our family. And I'm very sorry Lynn, for causing the greatest pain to you. I took your ability to walk and I tried to kill you. Nothing I say can undo these things and I don't expect them to. The most I can do is apologize, regret my actions, and ask for your forgiveness. I won't blame you for not forgiving me, as I don't expect you to. Hopefully you read this and that is the most I can ask. I miss you and only want to help you._

 _Sincerely, Luan Loud._

Lynn finished the letter and saw the door open, Lincoln stepping in.

"You okay?" he queried. She sat up and set the paper aside. He moved in and sat on her bed, closing the door as he did so.

"I don't know," she told him, her voice uncertain. Lincoln took her right hand and held it. She returned the grip.

"I guess that makes all of us," he told her. The house was much quieter than before, only filled with whispers and hushed voices. A moment of silence passed them by.

"I now know what you mean by not hating her," Lynn spoke. Lincoln was surprised. He didn't think she would ever understand him. "I still won't forgive her. But..." her pause was thick, "I'm glad she got help." Lincoln smiled bittersweetly.

"I am, too," he replied. Lynn smiled.

"Do you want to just sit on the steps outside?" she asked. He agreed and they went out. The family was still in the living room, discussing the letter with varying reactions. The couple closed the front door and took spots on the steps. They held hands again. The evening had begun, the sun barely dropping in the sky. Lynn thought it felt nice.

"I think we should do this more often," Lincoln agreed, seeming to have picked up on her thoughts.

"I want to just sit here with you forever," she admitted to him. She felt happier than she thought was possible. Her boyfriend felt the same way, a look of bliss covering his face.

"Do you want to go to the arcade tomorrow?" he asked, grinning.

"Only if we're going to Jean-Juan's before that," she replied. They both chuckled. The only noise after they were done laughing was a random car passing by and some birds singing. "What do you think the future holds for us?" she asked.

"I don't know, but it seems you'll be in it and that's good enough for me," he spoke honestly. Her smile grew bigger and she kissed him. She pulled away and he looked terrified.

"That window sometimes has people looking through it," he warned as he pointed to the big window next to their door.

"And sometimes it doesn't. We can deal with any problems later. Right now, I just want to watch the sun with you and nothing else." She squeezed his hand slightly. "You make me the happiest girl in the world, Lincoln." She took a deep breath. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Lynn," he returned. She leaned on him, the both of them with giant grins stuck to their faces. He still wondered if he loved her the way she did him, but he wouldn't voice it. She was there and he knew that he wouldn't break her heart, ever. They watched the sun until it set, holding each other close and wondering about their time together in the future. But this was now and now… now was good enough for them.

 **Author's Note: I guess this is the end of the story, at least at it's most basic. I do have an epilogue that I'm going to write and add to this. I had a lot of fun and I'm glad I wrote this. It has it's imperfections but there are places where I can think of no other words to apply than what is written. I am glad this story was looked at quite often and I hope all of you, dear readers, enjoyed the journey. Soon, you'll be at the destination. I never intended for things to turn out so, but I'm sure some of you have noticed the change in description. That was my original plan, but I'm glad the plan changed.**

 **I guess there's nothing else to say here, other than a thank you. Thanks also goes out to The Loud Author. Without their works, I wouldn't have written this. So please, stick around and enjoy the finale.**

 **Edit: This is it. The final chapter to receive an edit update. If you missed the chance to save the story as it was presented to this glorious site, then I do have the originals that made it here (minus the coming epilogue), but I don't know when or if I'll ever put them here again or elsewhere for the amusement of others. I held the mindset that a story should be left untouched the second it reaches the internet, that you should go back as an author and measure how far you've come without ever editing what was published. I guess I serve as a perfect example of hypocrisy.**

 **But that's still the mindset I want to hold and spread because everyone needs to look at their measuring stick and see how much they changed. I never edited the ANs because I wanted to leave those alone and serve their purpose as severely dated things. Even now, I don't view this edit section as truly tampering with the ANs. So, with this small celebration of sorts, I'm going to upload the epilogue on the anniversary of this story's publishing date for the first chapter. I thank you for reading this story and I still thank you for those who had been here since the beginning, waiting for the proper ending to this tale. I just hope I can deliver well enough.**


	13. A Loud Epilogue

A Loud Epilogue, or Keeping it in the Family

 **AN: I don't really know what to write here. I mean, there's a lot I want to say, but I don't quite know how to put it to words here or even at the bottom. I guess this means that I should, at the very least, say thank you for reading this and if you've been with it the whole time from the first chapter's publishing two years ago today, then thank you for sticking with it. It was fun. And if you're new to the story, then thank you for reading it. So, please read the AN at the bottom once you've** **finished the chapter. Now, without further ado, I present to you the final chapter.**

Lincoln stood at the window in his study, watching Lynn playing with their daughter, Laura. He smiled, constantly reminded of Lynn's confession twenty years ago whenever he laid eyes on their child. He knew she would be starting school soon and he had to learn to accept her being away for so long each day. He watched as Lynn chased their child in a game of what appeared to be tag, her legs moving awkwardly for the speed she pushed them at. He worried her leg braces would snap but these were built by Lisa, so his trust was renewed in them.

Lynn fell over, laughing as she sat up, Laura laughing with her as she fell onto her mother. Lincoln smiled, happy to know his loved ones were okay. He moved away from the window and sat at his desk. He pulled out a blank book and a pen, locking the drawer they were retrieved from. He no longer had his smile. His face was empty, the task before him grave in circumstance. He took the pen to the first page and wrote the title he had decided on: Keeping it in the Family. He turned the page, giving the short dedication "For Laura, should your curiosity sadly lead you here" and turned the page again, going along each line as he wrote.

 _I write this in the hopes that you never find it, but if you do, then you will know the truth. Your entire life is not the one we keep telling you it is. You are deserving of the knowledge that you are here because of incest. I am your father, both in blood and in duty. I have accepted that I may burn for my actions for all eternity, but I pray you will not be punished for my sins. Within this book is a life story of all your aunts, mother, father, grandmother, and grandfather. You deserve to know the truth from the beginning._

He set down the pen, his hand heavy as he recalled all of his life and the stories family told him from their own lives as they led to this very moment. He remembered visiting Luan in her new home for the first time…

They waited outside the office of Dr. Ling. Luan was barely locked up for a week in the new residence. Lincoln sat next to Lynn, with her in her wheelchair and him in a normal one. The family was quiet, more so than what would've passed for quiet around them. The doctor emerged from his office and greeted the family, starting with their parents and working his way through them quickly. He seemed nice enough, according to Lincoln. The doctor explained that they were there to help Luan. He needed to gauge where she needed help the most.

Luan sat in a chair positioned on a wall from another like it that sat on the opposite wall. She waited, knowing that her family was going to see her in this place. She didn't enjoy the idea of them being here, more because she felt a great shame, caused by her actions, and felt that she didn't deserve them. The door opened and her mother followed the doctor to the chair and sat in it. Lily was in her arms, ignorant of the place around her. Doctor Ling studied their looks, taking notes on each one's behavior. Luan was trying to look away, her mother saddened by the state of her daughter.

Her mother was escorted out and her father replaced his wife. The same reaction happened and the doctor took notes. He replaced her father with Leni and still encountered a similar reaction. Lucy was tried next and he only got Luan's reaction accurately. Then Lisa. She looked disappointed in her older sister. Luan still reacted the same. The twins were tried one by one, each terrified of being in the room with Luan. Luan looked all the worse for it. It was Lori's turn. She walked in and seemed to be worried, not for herself but for her younger sister. Luan could barely face her direction while keeping her face focused on the floor. The doctor noted the changes and removed Lori.

Lincoln was now next in line. He entered the room, taking his seat. He looked uncomfortable, but she seemed more so. She turned away from him, quivering as she avoided his direction. Notes taken, Doctor Ling took Lincoln back to the family. Luna was now the next lamb and he took her in. Luan curled up on the chair, trying to distance herself as much as possible. Luna seemed just as scared. He led Luna back, telling them he was going to get a few members of staff and to wait for him to be back. A few moments later, he had two men accompanying him. He peeked into the room before grabbing Lynn.

"I apologize if this makes you terrified. Hopefully you won't be too affected by what I hope to be just mild discomfort," he told her. He looked in once more, seeing Luan sitting calmly forward on her chair. The doctor opened the door and before Lynn could move in, Luan began screaming hysterically, yelling for her to stay away as she ran for the furthest corner and balled herself up, trying to keep from Lynn. Doctor Ling moved Lynn from the door and told the orderlies to restrain the patient, using sedatives if she failed to calm down quick enough. The screeches and wails were heard by the rest of the family. Lynn felt worse for the dreams she had of so much power against Luan.

"I'm sorry for causing this," the girl said. The screaming died down too quickly.

"That's okay. I needed to figure out some of the problems she's experiencing." The doctor looked at the door. "I guess she wouldn't calm down. Well, I now know what to work on. Thank you for your time. I think we should go back to your parents now." They returned to where everyone was. It was apparent they heard her too. "Mr. and Mrs. Loud, I think we should discuss a few things. It seems that much of your family is okay for visiting Luan, but I must tell you that…" He paused, pushing the words out, "Lincoln and Luna should not be able to visit and Lynn is most certainly not allowed to visit. I think it's too damaging for Luan and I want to be able to get her to a point where all of the family can visit before she leaves here. So, until further notice or under my own needs for you to bring them, I ask that you keep them home."

Lincoln felt his heart drop. He wanted to support her through her tough times, to see her get better, but now he had to watch from afar…

He remembered this quite well. He could visit her in the asylum, though two years had passed at that point. She did well if others were visiting with him but she became unwell if he stayed too long by himself. He heard her tell him a story of how some man came up to her and asked if she saw the fairies too, if she saw how blue they were. He was escorted away by an orderly before anything could happen, but she didn't enjoy visiting with the other patients. The only interaction she looked forward to was with her doctor every week.

Lincoln thought back to when she came home after being released…

It was a week before school would start up again for the remaining Louds and a week after Luan's eighteenth birthday. The family was older now, three of the members having moved out with Luna leaving three months before today. But this didn't hinder them in coming back home. Everyone waited patiently, a birthday cake set on the table, a sign above the stairwell reading **WELCOME HOME!** in its big, bold lettering. Everyone was here that was a part of the original family, except for their father, who had gone to pick Luan up. It was late evening when they heard a van pull up. The lights in the house disappeared. The door opened, a couple of figures in the doorway.

The lights were flicked on and a massive 'SURPRISE' erupted from everywhere, with the members of the family popping out. They swarmed her into a hug, tears of joy shared among the family as they bombarded her with "Welcome home" and "How are you?", and Luan returned all she was given. Cake was given out and enjoyed by all. Luan had a bag that was taken up to her room by Luna, who returned to enjoy her company. Lynn and Luan were civil to each other, keeping most of their family between them. The family stayed up late into the night, talking and joking. Siblings began dozing off, affecting the youngest ones first and progressing up, until they all decided to get some sleep. The rest of the family who was awake began arguing over who would sleep with Luan in her room, a battle that was won by Luna.

An hour after the lights went out, Lincoln heard a faint knock on his door, rousing him. He opened to find Lynn there, on the floor before him and pillow in hand.

"I can't sleep," she told him, grogginess mixing into her words. He beckoned her in and turned on his desk lamp. He squinted his eyes and let them adjust.

"What's the problem?" he asked, yawning.

"I just can't sleep with her here," Lynn explained. He took a moment before realizing who she was talking about.

"You can sleep in here tonight, but what's the real reason?" he was starting to nod off. Lynn fidgeted a little. "Come on, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone else, if that's what worries you."

"I don't trust her Lincoln. I remember what happened the last time she was here and I was asleep," she said at long last.

"I also recall it being in here with you and me," he pointed out. She huffed.

"I just feel safer with you." She was annoyed that this was taking too long.

"Alright, alright," he said, and with that, he picked her up and set her on his bed as gently as he could. She felt better in his arms, not wanting to protest what he had done. They built the bed how they wanted it to be for the night. He turned off the light and crawled in. He held her in his arms, keeping her close. She wrapped her arms around his, sleep finally coming to her.

Luan heard the entire exchange. No one else could, but her ears learned to be better at hearing during her time locked up. She couldn't sleep, guilt preventing it. She didn't want to be the reason her little sister refused to stay in her own room, but she was. The night went on far too long for her. Soon, everyone awoke and waited for Luan to come out of her room. She did, all the more rough for it. The family wanted to spend time with her still and so they did. This welcome back for Luan had ended on the third day, as the three oldest sisters had to return to their lives elsewhere. They said their farewells and the home was smaller again.

Luan slept alone in her room, as did Lucy in hers for the next month. Everyone had gotten used to Luan being in the home. Lynn didn't try to approach her, wanting to let Luan be okay in the house first. Luan, on the other hand, moved out of rooms that Lynn entered, keeping a distance if she could help it. Lynn noticed that Luan looked distressed as she left. She would let things be until otherwise.

Lincoln walked into the kitchen (by this point having just gotten Lynn to move back to her room), ready to take on the dishes when he heard a soft sobbing coming from the basement door. He opened it, seeing Luan at the bottom of the steps, crying into her knees. He approached her, the stairs giving away his presence with a few creaks. She turned around, seeing Lincoln, and turned back to her knees.

"Go away, Link," she told him. He still came to her, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"What's wrong?" he asked. His voice dripped with sincerity and she couldn't refuse him an answer in the slightest.

"Everyone hates me," she told him, sobs still escaping from her knees.

"I don't see where you're getting that idea," he said as he soothed her. She moved her face from her knees to look at him again. Her eyes were red and puffy.

"Mom and dad hate me. They always stare at me when we eat. They don't try to make us tell them about our day. They don't trust me to be in the house with everyone if they aren't here," she got out between sniffles.

"They don't hate you. They love you just as much now as they did then. Why else would they let you stay here?" he spoke calmly.

"Then why is any meal that I'm a part of so quiet?" she pointed out.

"Because we have to get used to you being home. Visiting you is different than living with you. We just have to get used to it." His words were true.

"And what about everyone else?" She was rubbing her eyes.

"Do you remember when we fought over who would bunk with you? Lori, Leni, and Luna nearly became physical. And Luna won. Why would any of them want to do that if they hated you?" She was unable to prove him wrong yet.

"Then why do the twins look frightened when I pass by?" Her sniffling had begun to lessen.

"They just don't know you yet. They couldn't visit very often, so they need to learn about you again. That's all." She kept trying to find something to support her claims.

"What about Lynn?" She had no more to fight against him with at this point.

"She loves you. Just as much me, Lucy, Lisa, and Lily. We all forgave you for what had been done to us. If we hated you, why would we forgive you?" He was sure this would convince her.

"But Lynn hasn't told me she did so." She was sure he was right but wanted to make sure.

"You don't stick around for her tell you personally," he informed Luan. She stopped with her crying altogether, wiping away whatever tears were left. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." He began his ascent.

"I don't trust myself around her, Lincoln." He was a few steps up and she was barely standing at the bottom. "That's why I don't stick around." She finally began her climb with him. They hugged at the top and she thanked him for his kindness.

Time is a funny thing. The months began their passage, the end of school on nigh. Lynn had returned to the school system after her injuries, shocking classmates and teammates alike. She could no longer stay with those who were by her side in various sports but the former teammates hung out with her nevertheless. She had been great to them and they would be great to her. She started playing sports again, this time for people in a position like her. She wasn't the best but she could hold her own, a far cry from her past. She had new friends in senior year as well as old ones. The time was coming where she would graduate and she was terrified and relieved at the same time.

Fate had one more cruel joke to play. Her teammates began to receive notices that they had scholarships from the related sports organizations they played and any affiliates of them. She was happy for her friends and teammates, planning to attend a school with them. Time was drawing to its limits of when she could expect any sporting scholarship. The deadline passed. Her friends had many and she had none, a cruel reminder she wasn't good at what she loved anymore. The night of the deadline, she was with Lincoln in his room, just as she had been with Luan's arrival. She wept and he helped her keep the sound as muffled as possible. But Luan heard. No-one else did, but she heard her little sister's cries, sobbing herself; she was much better at hiding it than Lynn was. She was the reason Lynn wouldn't get the scholarships, and this grew heavily on her mind.

In the morning, Lynn pretended as if nothing was wrong, as if she was perfectly okay with her lot. Lincoln stayed near her all day, providing warmth for her soul. Luan just stayed in her room, not once leaving when called on. The day after, everyone got to see their eldest sister (in the house, anyway) at some point during the day. The night after, Lynn told her parents she was no longer interested in furthering her education. They asked her why and she said it didn't interest her anymore. They didn't argue it with her...

Lincoln heard a knock at the door of the study, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Come in," he called as he put the book back in its drawer, putting it under a false bottom. Laura rushed in, coming to hug him just as he closed the drawer. Lynn followed their daughter, walking a little unsteadily in her braces.

"Daddy, what are you working on?" Laura asked, having climbed onto his lap. He knew he couldn't hide doing anything from her, but he could hide the specifics.

"Just getting a few notes down for another story I'm working on. Besides, it's _uncle_ , not daddy," he explained

"I know, but you're like a dad to me," she said sweetly.

"That might be true, but I don't want to have to explain things to the people at school. They'll give me funny looks." He ruffled her hair a little. He was glad it was a light shade of brown, making her look more like her mother. She even acted like her at times. Then again, she shared many of his personality traits. It was then that he noticed how dirty she was. "Go get washed up for bed, sweetie. I'll be by to tuck you in afterwards." She got up and left, telling him "Okay, _daddy_ " and disappearing before he could call back to correct her. Lynn just giggled as she leaned against the doorway.

"Do you think her aunts are a bad influence?" Lynn asked, still chuckling.

"No, but I do see her being a lot like you were then," he told her. She moved from the doorway and began leaning on his desk.

"Any chance I could learn more about those notes you were working on?" she asked. He grinned widely.

"Nope. I want them to remain a secret until I'm ready," he told her, a touch of smugness in his voice. She pouted, trying to get him to divulge his secrets. "It's not going to happen. Plus I think you should check on Laura. She could be hiding." With this, Lynn left, seeing if her child was just procrastinating. Lincoln sat back in his chair, getting lost in his memories again…

Lincoln was nearing the end of his high school career. He had tried to sell a few comics and get hired on by some companies, but each rejected him. They loved his talent for art and writing, but the art was not as stellar as some of those already in their employ. The writing was above and beyond what they were getting from the staff and they always told him how good it was. But the art was not something he could do. He was incensed that they liked one part but not another, letting him stew in anger at his situation. Half the companies said they would hire him if he was okay with only writing but he wouldn't accept anything less than doing art _and_ writing. He started to put his anger to use, producing one story after another, little by little improving on his skills.

He started to accept that being just an author wasn't too bad, even if it wasn't his dream. The house was ready to change again. Luan had done a few odd jobs (thankful for the expunging of her record) and was saving a good bit of money. She set up a meeting with their parents at the dinner table. Lynn sat on the couch, watching t.v. with the twins beside her.

"Mom, dad," Luan began, "I just wanted to let you know, that…" She choked on the words. "That I have been saving up some money and, well, I just found a place to move into." She found it hard to keep going. Her parents were tearing up. The twins had begun to take notice of the events unfolding in the dining room. "And it's right around the corner, s-s-s-so you can visit a-a-and stop by any time you want." She spoke the last sentence louder. Lynn heard.

"Oh, honey, you don't have to move out," her mother stated. She got up and pulled her child into a hug.

"It's okay, mom. I wanted to do this, since I need to learn to be on my own," she spoke, sniffles interrupting her every few words.

"Well, just so you know, you're always welcome back here," her dad informed her, having gotten up to stand by his wife. The news spread to the other siblings. She was assisted in moving out to her own place, the move being quick due to how little she owned to take with her. The family helped her pick out furniture so that she wouldn't deal with a barebones home. Even so, the home was still largely unfurnished by the end of it all. She thanked them, happy for the help.

A few weeks passed by, everyone remaining in the home with their parents getting used to not having Luan home again. Lynn felt guilty for not trying to spend more time with her older sister. She gave her space, knowing that Luan was still troubled about what she had done to her. It gnawed and gnawed at Lynn, until one day she decided to visit Luan. She convinced Lincoln to follow her, hoping he would be enough to calm Luan when she was around her. A few moments later, she was ringing the bell. Luan opened the door and looked shocked at the sight before her. Quickly did she usher them in and tended to them, being a kind hostess.

"So, what brings you two here?" Luan asked, fidgeting a little.

"Well, we just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing," Lynn explained. Luan was fidgeting more and more.

"Thanks for coming by. I, uh, I-I-I… I'll be right back. I just need to check on something," Luan said. She had been squirming a lot, having a hard time just sitting still. She left, making a mad dash up some stairs. A few minutes passed and Lincoln decided to go and check on her. He looked upstairs for her, finally stopping outside a door that he could hear her voice coming from. "You're alright. It's just Lincoln and Lynn. All they want to do is visit. You're alright..." he heard her repeat to herself in a hushed voice. He sent a text to Lucy explaining everything so that she could help them out.

Lucy came and went to Lincoln to see for herself. She called out to the door, stopping the hushed chanting. Luan opened it, smiling as she saw her sister there with Lincoln. They all went down to continue visiting, the atmosphere much calmer than it had been. They stayed until the evening came, leaving as the sun was close to dropping right behind the horizon. It was a beautiful view…

Lincoln heard Lynn call from within the house. He followed the voice, curious to why he had been summoned. He came to Laura's bedroom, seeing her ready for bed with Lynn in a seat next to it. He smiled, happy everything was alright.

"I believe you made her a promise, Lincoln," Lynn reminded him, smiling.

"I did, and I'll keep it." He sat on the bed, reaching for a book on her nightstand. "Princess Pony tonight?" he asked, confused by her choice in reading material. Laura nodded her head, waiting for him to read it. He wasted no time in reading it to her, keeping an eye open to see if she had drifted off until she had, only to then close it and tuck her in. Lynn and Lincoln left, making sure she wouldn't be disturbed.

"I guess she has the same taste in reading as you," Lynn joked. Lincoln didn't bother to correct her, letting her enjoy her laugh.

"I guess," he agreed. "Do you think we're doing a good job raising her?" He was very worried, if the tone of his voice was any indication.

"I know we're doing a great job. She's happy, she's safe, she's healthy. What more could we ask for?" Lynn helped to soothe his fears. "Why do you ask?"

"I've just… I have to finish my new book soon and it's been getting to me a little," he told her. He didn't want to put any burden on her shoulders. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, having to bend him down to meet her. The years certainly made him taller than her, if only a few inches.

"It's going to turn out great, just like your other stories," she assured him. He grinned, knowing her words were sweet nothings. They retired for the evening, turning in after a long day. He visited one more memory, wanting to see something happy, if only in a minor way…

He had just enough money. Three years after finishing school, he and Lynn approached their parents, telling them they were moving in together. He explained how it would be cheaper to live together, as well as the fact that he could help Lynn with living in a new home. Their parents were sad that the house shrank further, made worse with two leaving rather than just one, but they were happy and supportive. Every sibling helped in the move. Even some of the extensions to the family came to do their part. He was glad that they had a place all to themselves. There was no longer a chance that a sibling or other member could walk in and see something that shouldn't be. They had the privacy they always wanted.

They settled in, adding to the place for the first year they were there, making it feel just like home. Lincoln started to make a few business trips a year, leaving Lynn alone for a few days at a time. He would call her and made sure someone came to see her while he was away. He came back after a brief trip that would last for a total of five hours. He opened the door, seeing Lynn laying on the couch with a wine bottle on the coffee table and a suitable glass in one hand, half-filled with the liquid of its namesake. Lynn threw her hands in the air.

"Hey, little bro, you're home early," she slurred loudly with excitement. He hadn't heard her call him that in years.

"No, I'm home right on time, just like I told you I would be," he corrected, pointing to the clock. It read three in the afternoon.

"Oh, well, all the more reason to celebrate," she said, reaching for the bottle while still glued to the couch. She started to pour it before he could stop her but nothing came out. She shook it a few times and set it on the floor. "I guess it's empty. Which means we can break open some of that Italian stuff," she slurred still, taking another drink of what was in her glass. He went over to her, standing within arm's reach.

"How many glasses have you had?" he asked, keeping his tone calm.

"I'm not drunk," she retorted.

"Sit up," he commanded, still calm. She tried to sit up, throwing her arms before her to assist. She still lay on the couch.

"Alright, I'm up."

"No, you're still laying down," he told her. She looked at her position.

"I guess I am. Well, here's to trying," she toasted, trying to get another swig down. He made no attempt to stop her.

"How many glasses, Lynn?" he asked once more. She set the glass on the table, counting it all out as she recalled the number.

"Let's see. There was the one, then the two, then the two more, then the three with that lunch, then the one here," she told him. She took back the glass with the last word and drank, leaving a pitiful amount behind.

"Come on, Lynn. Let's get you to bed. You had enough fun for one day," he said, picking her up and carrying her to their room. She dropped the glass, spilling the wine in it on their rug.

"Oops," was all she managed at the event.

"That's alright. I'll clean it up later. Right now, you need some sleep," he said. He was calm still, not wanting to berate her since she probably wouldn't remember a thing.

"Thanks, Linky," she slurred. He set her in bed, pulling the blankets over her. "Hey, Lincoln, you want to know a secret?"

"Sure," he said, indulging his curiosity.

"Okay, the secret is: I'm drunk, because I couldn't stand the pain." He looked at her, his expression becoming more grave. She continued. "I know that I moved on from the injuries and the problems there, but the pain is always there, just niggling at you at first, growing and growing, until one day, you have to get rid of it. One drink starts to dull it, two makes it really dull, three has it barely noticeable, six makes it stop, and a few more make it disappear for awhile." She smiled her drunken smile, putting a finger up to her mouth in a shushing manner when she finished.

He smiled back, letting her know he would keep quiet. She closed her eyes, passing out. He made sure to have some entertainment while he waited in the chair in their room. He even made sure she was on her side in case anything came up. He waited, not even getting dinner and only leaving the room if necessary, for her to wake up. The clock ticked, telling him it was nearly midnight. She started to stir, sitting upright and rubbing her eyes.

"Oh," she said when she saw him.

"Do you need anything?" he asked, taking a seat on the bed to be next to her. She turned away from him.

"I think some water," she told him. He left, getting what she wanted as well as a bucket (just in case). He came back and she still couldn't look at him. He gave her the drink and she sipped on it.

"I know you're disappointed in me," she told him.

"I'm not disappointed, Lynn," he told her.

"Yes you are," she objected.

"I'm not. I'm concerned," he said. She looked at him, confused slightly. "You said you were in pain an–"

"You remember that?" she interrupted, "Just forget what I said."

"Lynn –"

"I said forget it. I was drunker than hell and I just want to deal with this hangover in peace," she said, stopping him. "It won't happen again."

"We can talk later. But now I just want a little sleep," he said, rubbing his eyes. He crawled in, not bothering with removing his clothes. "I just want you to be okay, Lynn." She laid back down, going back to dreamland herself. She could feel him wrap an arm around her. A quick goodnight later and the both of them were back to sleep…

Lincoln repeated the same sentiment in his mind as he wrapped his arm around Lynn. He knew she was okay now, having helped her through some of those troubled times. He could only wish so much. The next day broke and he could smell breakfast. The other body sharing his bed no longer had a presence. He thought now was as a good time as any to join his family for a good meal. Laura told him about her dream and he expressed great interest in it. He always acted so kind, doing as his father did whenever he wasn't sure of how to handle something. The day was off to a great start.

Lynn got Laura to leave and play with her toys for a bit before sitting down with Lincoln.

"Luan's going to come over later today," Lynn told him.

"I'm glad. Laura's been wanting her to visit again," he said.

"Yeah. I'm glad she's gotten to meet her aunts. Apparently, she's going to get another cousin."

"Really? From who?"

"Lori. This will be baby number seven, I think."

"I guess she's trying to compete with mom, huh?" Lincoln laughed with Lynn joining him.

"I guess so." Lynn was trying to broach a subject but didn't seem to know how, from what he could tell.

"What are you trying to say, Lynn?" he asked.

"Apparently another brother and sister couple made the news," she told him. Society had been transforming a lot from what they once knew. But he knew what was being said.

"Lynn, I don't think it's a good idea to tell the entire family," he spoke up. She sighed.

"Neither do I, but… when do you think it will be?" She had worry dancing on her eyes.

"I don't know, but definitely not in our lifetime. Plus, I also made you promise not to worry about her and the truth. I'm taking care of that because you worry enough about her. Now, I need to return to that book. See you at lunch." He gave a quick kiss, glad to see she was looking less down. He set a note aside to congratulate Lori and Bobby on the new baby once he got to his desk. He pulled out the book he had been writing and opened it when he made sure the door to his study was locked. He began his trip again as he wanted to write down more experiences…

Lincoln went to see Lynn in Lisa and Lily's room, while Luan was locked up. He went in, hearing his name called. He was shocked. Lynn had a pair of leg braces and was standing before him, Lisa taking notes in case anything went wrong. He saw how excited his older sister was, so happy that she could stand. Lisa handed her a couple of canes and Lynn began walking around the room, laughing at the amazement she had. He called to his other sisters and family, spreading the news. Lynn was swarmed, but she didn't mind it. She now had the ability to walk again, albeit in a more limited manner…

Lincoln loved this memory. He knew she would be happier in life from this great gift. So he kept going…

It had been some time since he saw Lynn on the couch, drunk beyond belief. She was doing well, not having touched booze in a long time. He came to the kitchen, seeing a grand breakfast on the table. Lynn was in her wheelchair, doing some of the dishes. She greeted him with a fresh cup of coffee. The mug looked like any other and she kept it filled while he ate. He stopped to see if she was hungry and she told him she had already eaten. They talked for awhile, trying to pass the time until he finished. She stopped filling the mug, waiting for him to now finish his drink.

"I'm going to the store to pick up a few things. You want to come?" he offered.

"No, I've got some things to do. I'll help you when you get back. Now go on and finish that coffee. I need it to do the dishes," she told him politely. She rolled away and he looked at the bottom fourth of the mug, chugging it as quick as he could. He looked inside after downing it, wanting to see if anything but drops or grinds were left. He went pale as he read what was at the bottom: You're the world's #1 dad.

"Uh, Lynn, did you mean to get this cup for dad?" he asked, his voice filled with an unknown quality to it.

"I did," she said without turning around. He released the breath he had been holding. She wheeled over to him, grabbing his hand after he set the cup down. "I got it for the dad right here." She punctuated her words by poking him lightly. He grinned a grin to rival the Cheshire Cat. He picked Lynn up out of her chair and spun her around, with her giggling.

"I get to be a dad," he said with a touch of incredulity. He set her back in her chair, setting himself on the floor from the sudden rush of excitement clouding his head. "I get to be a dad." He kept his stupid smile, never wanting to be anywhere else in the world. Then he got to thinking as his mind cleared up. "What do we tell everyone?" Lynn was dumbfounded.

"I didn't think that far ahead. I just wanted to tell you the good news and we could go from there." He nodded, trying to think of how to break this to their family. An idea struck him.

"We could say you went to a fertility clinic," he suggested, the words breaking his heart as they were spoken. The same effect occurred for Lynn.

"Are you sure?" she asked, wanting to confirm it.

"Yes. You wanted a child, couldn't find a man you loved, and went to a clinic," Lincoln spoke. He had taken a stone-like tone. He had to, for Lynn.

"If that's the story, then I guess we'll say that," Lynn agreed, sad that her most joyous moment had become a depressing one once again.

"And I'll help you raise your child," he added. He had to stay strong.

"I'll let everyone know." She could see his true feelings. "I'm sorry that life is like this," she comforted him.

"Lynn… more than anything, I'm happy to be a dad." He got up from the floor as he spoke. "I just want to be the best that I can be, both for you and our family." They hugged, enjoying the bittersweet news…

Lincoln teared up a little, enjoying the precious memory. He enjoyed his position in life, hoping he could always be like this at the very least. He had no regrets over creating the story and he liked it that way, appearing as the always helpful brother he knew they saw him as since the day he was born. The doorbell rang and he knew who it had to be.

He left his study to answer the door, beaten by Laura, if only barely.

"Hi, Aunt Luan," the young girl greeted, smiling as she saw the family member before her.

"Hey, Laura, how are you?" Luan returned. Before Laura could answer, Lincoln arrived, interrupting the conversation and ushering Luan inside. He sometimes wished she would just take those few steps in instead of waiting, but he knew of her problems, always dismissing the thought. Lynn came into the living room, walking with more confidence in her step and not so awkwardly. She greeted her sister, offering to help make her more at home. Luan declined politely, agreeing to drinks when Lincoln suggested it.

He left, leaving Lynn and Luan to take a seat in the room. Laura joined her mother, sitting on her lap. Luan began looking as if she couldn't sit still for much longer. Lynn worked quickly.

"Say, why don't you go tell your aunt how excited you are about starting school?" she told Laura, encouraging her to go over to her relative. She did so, her aunt listening intently to every word coming from her niece. Luan looked more relaxed, distracted from being alone in the room with Lynn. Lincoln came back, giving everyone who was thirsty their drink. They visited, catching up on what might have been missed among them from all that was going on with their whole family.

"I think that about wraps things up," Luan said. "I guess the only thing left is the family reunion in about a month. Are you guys coming?" Lynn and Lincoln exchanged confused glances.

"Another one so soon?" Lynn asked. Luan nodded her head.

"Yeah, that's what everyone kept asking, but I checked with mom and dad and they said so," Luan explained.

"Last one was six months ago. Do you think something's up?" Lincoln asked, concern clearly on his mind.

"I don't know, but I asked if Lisa could look into it, so she should definitely know about anything if it's bad. Hopefully not, but life's funny," Luan said. Laura was playing on the floor with some of her toys, not giving much mind to the conversation. Lincoln certainly enjoyed how she could lack in life's worries, wishing he could go back to then occasionally, a sentiment shared by all in his family, even if unbeknownst to him. Luan looked at her watch. "Oh, I didn't know it was that late already." She looked for a window and saw in the kitchen that the sun was getting rather low in the sky, confirming her watch in its timekeeping.

"Alright. Well, I guess we'll see you at the reunion, then," Lynn said. "Say goodbye to your aunt, Laura," Lynn reminded her daughter.

"Bye, Aunt Luan," Laura said, getting up to give her a hug. Luan returned it as she headed for the door. Everyone said goodbye to each other, Luan giving a final wave as she turned around and closed the front door behind herself. Laura returned to her toys and Lincoln turned his attention to Lynn.

"Well, I guess that means dinner is probably going to be delivery, so I'll place an order," he said, pulling out his phone. Lynn gave no objections and Laura celebrated the prospect of a rare treat being there soon enough. After a long call that involved having to repeat the order no less than four times, Lincoln ended it, hoping the food would arrive all the faster for their waiting. He then excused himself to his room again and hurried away.

After arriving, he just closed the door and went to the desk without a second thought, pulling out the book he was to be writing. He wrote down all he remembered from the day before, not caring for the order in which he wrote it down so long as he could get it down. The deliveryman showed up, tearing him from the room and he was grateful for the break. Lincoln joined his family for dinner, hurrying through the meal and leaving for the room again. He then resumed his work, going back to another memory to put down…

It was the first family reunion and everyone had gone back to where it all began for the already large family. Laura wasn't a thought yet and he and Lynn were trying to break habits around their family, trying to not hold hands or even kiss. Everyone was back, coming from all over to reminisce and speak in person.

Lori was there with two children and a third on the way, Bobby constantly near her as they moved about. Leni was there with her husband and son, chatting away and being happy. Luna was there, though without anyone special in her life. Luan had followed suit with Luna, both having focused on careers more than family. Lucy had her boyfriend, the twins with their own, of whom were also twins. Lisa was alone, also having focused on her career. This left Lily being the last member to be without a plus one, so far as Lincoln and Lynn were concerned.

Lincoln caught up and met every last addition to the family, greeting them, finding out who was going to be a fiancee soon (by his estimates) and making sure all was going well with everyone's piece of paradise. All throughout, he saw Luan slowly withdraw and take a seat, refusing to mingle. He then moved over to her and pried into her reasons for withdrawing.

"Come on. There must be a reason to why you're like this," he urged. Luan sighed, before turning to face him.

"Funny Business is shutting down," she said. He scoffed at the idea.

"Oh, come on. Things can't be that bad."

"I'm not joking, Lincoln. I'm going to sign on the dotted line and make sure it gets shuttered forever." He looked ready to say something but she caught him before he could speak. "Business isn't going great. I've been getting less bookings for the past three quarters and have seen the numbers drop exponentially. I haven't turned a profit in the last quarter. It doesn't sound like much but it's different. It's one thing when the profits are low because I can account for it myself, but it's another when I can't get the bookings." She sighed in frustration.

"I can invest, if that'll help," Lincoln offered.

"Thanks, but I can't accept it. You can barely support yourself and Lynn as it is, let alone being able to invest the amount I need. It'll take a miracle for me to get back in the black." She hung her head and looked at the ground. "I just can't compete in the market anymore. I'll have to cut my losses if I don't see improvements soon and then that'll just leave me with needing to go to school. Which brings me to another problem." She took a sip of her drink. "Just look at me.

"I should have a husband and family by now, I should have a successful career under my belt, and I have neither. I'm getting to the point where I will have nothing but cats in my future with barely any kind of financial support. I can't even get a good degree at this point."

"Luan, you managed to have a business when we were younger. That's more than most of this family has done. And then you managed to resurrect that business after it had been dead for a good while. Who else can say that in the world?" She lifted her head and looked at him.

"Lincoln, your words are nice, but I just want to go home and wait for my liver to rot away just so I don't have to see Funny Business close again." She took another sip to finish off her sullen statement. Lincoln put his hand on her shoulder.

"Luan, you're a great businesswoman and an even better comedienne. I know that you're going to succeed and that things will turn around for you." She smiled at him, even if only briefly and with just as much effort put into it. "Now, have you told Dr. Ling about any of this?"

"Yeah and he knows full well that I'm not going to enjoy a cocktail for one last breath. He doesn't think I'll end it, unlike you." He sensed a sort of sarcasm to her words and retaliated in kind.

"Well, that's alright because I'll hand you your ass if you did enjoy such a treat." She chuckled at his words and he knew he had reached her in her darkest moment (at least in this place in time).

A week later, Luan learned that her biggest competitor had made himself a little too comfortable with children and was arrested. She took advantage of the situation, fixing her marketing around it and giving discounts to those who had booked his company for a time in which he would now be unavailable. She saw profits triple in the next quarter and called Lincoln to thank him for the emotional support…

He finally quit beating around the bush. Lincoln knew he had to include the events surrounding how Lynn had become crippled, how life had become a Hell for the family. He had to. It was his duty to tell his daughter the truth and he had to give it in the proper telling of details. He waited so long to begin telling that he almost forgot how life became this way for them, of how she had begun her journey into life through the actions of that one night two decades ago.

It pained him to begin telling what amounted to one big life story, but he had to. He tore open the wounds of the past to relive them again. He felt the tears of those nights flow again. Lincoln could hear the crunching of knees, the sundering of flesh, the creaking steps. All of it. He had to set the book aside, feeling his heart begin to beat in a rhythm similar to when he saw the terrors for the first time. He waited for the calming process to begin, glad when his beating heart began to reach normal levels again. He put his hand on his face and rubbed his eyes.

A knock came at his door and he looked to find the book, not realizing he had thrown it across the room. He grabbed it quickly and gripped it tightly as he opened the door to find Laura standing there, wide-eyed with worry.

"Are you okay, Uncle Lincoln?" she asked. He gripped the book tighter and tried to set it from her view before answering.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just… okay. Why do you ask?" he lied with a slightly teetering voice.

"I heard something loud and I thought something bad had happened," she explained.

"Sorry about that. I just dropped something. That's all," he fibbed. She didn't seem to buy it at face value, but still went "okay" and left for the opposite end of the hall, where the bathroom sat. Lynn wasn't far behind her on the stairs, stopping by Lincoln on her trip.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Lynn asked. She was just as worried, if not more so.

"I'm fine," he lied again. Lynn wasn't buying it either.

"I heard you yell 'fuck' at the top of your lungs and then a thud," she said, telling him he was caught in a lie. He didn't remember the expletive, but now he knew why they had begun prying.

"Yeah, I just dropped a couple of books." He hated to lie, but he didn't want to add more worry to anyone else's plate and felt this would lessen that. Lynn actively gazed at the book he held and he withdrew it to behind his back.

"Lincoln," she tried to start.

"Lynn, I told you not to worry about anything. This right here will just make that worse for you, okay?" He wrapped his free arm around her. "You let me handle this since I told you I would." She seemed to recognize what he was talking about and sighed. At least he had given her a better answer to soothe her mind.

She left, with him telling her to let Laura know he would be down to tuck her in. He closed the door again and went back to his desk. He no longer could properly sit down to add to it and instead hid the item back to where it was before with shaking hands. And true to his word, he helped to tuck in Laura, glad that she didn't pry any further. This gladness extended to Lynn as well for not investigating any further. He closed his eyes and enjoyed some needed rest.

He awoke to Lynn screaming in her sleep, thrashing about even. He put his hand on her, trying to rouse her gently as he called her name and kept saying all was fine. She eventually bolted upright, sucking in air as fast as she could. Both failed to notice the sky was still dark, but Lincoln didn't care about the time; he only cared about her nightmares.

"I-I-I-I w-was just…" she tried to get the words out and he simply held her, getting her to quiet down as he wanted her to tell him as best as possible what it was that frightened her so. She managed to get to that point. "I was reliving that awful night again," she said as she felt tears coming, her voice choking on her.

"It's okay," he said in a soothing tone. "You're okay now." She curled into him even more.

"Please don't tell Luan about this," she begged, "I don't want her to feel like it was her fault."

"I won't," he promised. He hated seeing her like this, unable to do anything to stop such dreams from invading her sleep. He hated how it was always random, with no pattern to let him help her better. They resumed their sleep, still holding each other tightly.

The dawn came and he rose with it, stretching and marveling at how beautiful Lynn looked. He went through his normal routine and then to his study. He had a job to still do, after all, and he was intent on seeing it through. He barely noticed how the day slipped from dawn to noon, giving all of his focus to the work before him. That is, until he heard a knock at his door.

"Come in," he said, hiding the book quickly and putting the key to its lock. In came Lisa, a face he hadn't been expecting and one he was glad for.

"I can see my arrival wasn't of any importance to you," she spoke in a tone that was barely laced with sarcasm.

"I didn't want you to spread that extreme intellect of yours to me," he said in jest. He cracked a smile and went over to greet her with a hug. "It's nice to see you," he began, leading them out of the room, "but I must say that I haven't been expecting you for today."

"I was dealing with some small business and I figured that since I was here, I might as well stop in and say hello," she explained.

"And since you're here–"

"I've been checking on Laura," she interrupted.

"Thank you. I know it's a bit early, but I appreciate it all the same," he said, the relief present in his voice.

"No, I must thank you. It's not everyday someone gets to study someone like her. However, I must attend to something up here. So, If you'll excuse me…" she said.

"Down the hall," he instructed, knowing where she was heading with her words. They parted and he headed downstairs, the original destination he had planned for the two of them. He waited for her, checking in with his family and seeing how they were. Lisa finally came down.

"So, is anybody up for lunch?" she asked after looking at her watch. The house agreed and off they went, spending even more quality time together until the evening came and they managed to grab dinner. This, too, went by and they left for the residence, parting ways until the next time they all would meet again.

Lincoln left Laura and Lynn to spend a little more time together, using the excuse that he had to get back to his story. This was true, but Lynn sensed there was a bit more he was refusing to tell, an item that, while true, was better left unverified. He closed the door and retreated to his desk, his eyes barely used as he went to sit. Yet, they gained their full use upon seeing a package on the desk with a ribbon on top.

He no longer felt the need to grab the book he was writing and set it before him, at least not until this box was dealt with. He reached out, hesitating and stopping all throughout, but he reached the box and pulled it toward him. He saw that it was addressed to him, written in Lisa's handwriting. He began to sweat, unsure what could be inside. Soon, he had lifted the top off and saw a piece of paper inside. He opened it and read the contents therein.

 _Dear Lincoln,_

 _I have succeeded in a creation that I am sure will be of much interest to you and all of man in this world. It is something that I feel should be left in your hands and your hands alone. I have made a "time machine", if you will, that simply operates on the ability of "rewinding" time the way you can rewind a movie, complete with your memories from then to now and then again. Do not ask how I know that this works, for it just does and that is all that's important for now._

 _Throughout the years, I might have shown a hard exterior that was uncaring for the emotions or whims of humanity, but I simply wept internally whenever I had to see Lynn, whenever I remembered the coma for Lori, of how the family could never go back to being the same ever again. Even now, I am glad to be alone while writing this, for tears have still found their way out._

 _I made this and thought that the only one responsible enough to use it was you, Lincoln Loud. You were affected the most in ways I cannot truly feel and yet you have managed to attain a position that leaves you with the best chance to make the right choice, no matter what that choice is or even the reasoning you used to make it. Lynn can't have it, for she is either going to destroy it and regret the chance to try and fix our lives or she will use it and be stuck forever in a loop until she can no longer do so, forever trapping her in whatever Hell she has managed to achieve._

 _Luan can't have it, for she will most likely go back in time and kill herself, which will simply lead to consequences that are more likely to be dire. Luna for similar reasons and the list goes on. But you, you will make a decision and I know you will make the most of it. I cannot force you to go back and I cannot force you to destroy it. You will, however, forever have knowledge that this device at least once existed and you must never tell another soul of the power you now possess or once possessed._

 _So, I now leave you with a power to rival God and I entrust that no matter the course of action, it will have been thought out thoroughly. There are two more things I must mention now, having forgotten earlier in this letter. The device will send you back to the first day of summer break twenty years ago, the day that I managed to figure out was the critical starting point for it all without messing too much in the timeline. And now, for the second. The device only has one use, for it will disappear due to effects and laws that I cannot begin to explain in one page, meaning you only get to press that button once and then the choice is set in stone._

 _Now, with these things laid out before you, I leave you with the choice that will forever alter history in one manner or another and no matter what, it is yours to make._

 _Sincerely and with a heavy hand,_

 _Lisa M. Loud_

Lincoln held the paper. He couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. A time machine? A chance to undo all that was wrong? No, it couldn't be. He looked in the box and saw a small silver thing that looked like it belonged on a keychain, as if it were an ordinary light or as if it were used to open the garage for a car. He saw the single green button.

His hands shook. His breathing escalated. Why wouldn't it? After all, he held something more powerful than anything else in the world. He could do whatever he wished with it. Lincoln knew Lisa was right when she compared the power in his hands with that of a powerful deity.

He could go back and prevent Lynn from being crippled, could go back and keep Luan from doing horrific things, to keep the family normal. He could go back and fix all the wrongs in the world that involved him and his family. But what about Laura? She was already healthy and happy. Luan, while certainly affected, was in a much better place than five years ago. Luna was happy. His sisters had managed to become happy and carve their own paths in life. Could he really go back and hope they managed to find happiness again while also adding to it? Could he really gamble with their lives? What if it only got worse than now?

He set the device on the table, pale from having this power over lives in his hands. He would know of all the horrors that transgressed in life before now. He would have memories of his child and never know if he would ever get back to that point again. Lincoln would never be sure if Laura would be healthy enough to enjoy life. He was unsure if he could keep Lynn from getting hurt worse. He had a power to rival God Himself and he was unsure of how to handle it. Lincoln Loud set his arms on the table, using his hands to cover his face as he used the arms for crutches and stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, even as the evening sun splashed him with its dying light.

 **AN: If there are words for the feelings I have at this moment, then they escape me. There's joy, sadness, and many others at this moment. I apologize for the rest of these notes since I fear they will be a bit of a ramble, but I'll keep things organized to the best of my abilities. Now, I have no idea what you, dear reader, are feeling after finishing this tale. I suspect anger or the feeling of being cheated of a truly complete ending, but there is also quite possibly joy for the story to be finished and done with in terms of its tale.**

 **I don't know. Overall, I want to hear honest thoughts. If you hated it, then say so. If you loved it, then speak up. Either way, I will know the truth and that's good enough for me.**

 **Now, I have a few things to say and some of it will be uncomfortable for me, but only because of my own feelings about such subjects in regards to myself. I have been away for a really long time and there's a good reason: I wrote a book. No, it's not fanfiction, but I did write it (sort of). This book is being aided with its writing and editing by TotCall720. Why am I telling you this? For the reason stated earlier (that being why I was gone) and for this one: because I'm taking a spin on the roulette wheel that is life. I have no real future ahead of me, so I may as well try and make it so.**

 **Which leads me to the now "shameless" plug I'm giving myself: I have a . The link (if you can call it that) will be on my profile. Don't worry, those of you who only want to read fanfiction from me, for I won't ever put my own fanfiction or even ones I collaborate on behind a paywall (if a patron is at the right tier, then there's timed exclusivity, but that's different). I will notify people about uploads for fanfiction there, so even if you don't wish to give me some spare change, then you can at least be notified there first (hopefully).**

 **Okay, that's now out of the way (I am asking that you throw some of your hard-earned cash my way. I really am in need and every little bit helps). Which means I have to talk about a few things.**

 **The first is that the earlier story I mentioned writing in this very story will be delayed. I don't know when, but I will have to set it back (don't worry. I'll still get it out onto this glorious site in the future soon). But I am writing a different story and this one is a collaboration with doodling-doodler (that's the name on tumblr. Oh yeah, I need to plug my tumblr. That will also be on my profile). I don't feel like I can tell too much other than it's an AU, so do watch out for that on here because that's going to be coming soon.**

 **The second is that I am writing a rewrite for this story. I believe I said this in an earlier chapter, but I am reaffirming it now. I don't know when, but that will also be done as soon as possible. Which calls into question this story's fate. I have decided to keep it, as a reminder of where the tale came from, but I have become the epitome of hypocrisy: I edited this tale after I had posted it. I hold to the idea of leaving mistakes where they lie to use as a measuring stick to see how far you've come, but I have gone against that belief for this story. I did at least save it first in the form that is on here (notes and all), but I am ashamed at such actions for myself. Either way, I hope you will enjoy the rewrite when it comes out.**

 **The third is that I want to talk about what I had to cut for this story. The story is rather different from what I had originally planned for it. I was going to write something in the vein of "Toxic Relationships", but I found myself departing further from that idea until the story had wrapped up. In fact, I even had a different ending in mind, one where Lynn just kills herself. But I chose against it because it didn't feel right to do that. I had planned to make this story actually take place over the course of a few weeks, with each chapter covering the course of a few days each rather than only one (only one exception and I'm sure you know which one).**

 **With these things said, I'm sorry for taking so long to get my thoughts out. I even tried to organize these notes ahead of time, but I found myself still trapped in rambling or akin to it. But now I'm here and I must get the words out. Which means that if I rambled, then so be it, and sorry for making you suffer. If you wish to know anything else for details about what I have discussed, then please check my profile and if something is missing, then ask me. I'll try to keep everyone in the loop while there.**

 **The final words. I have so much to say in some ways and none ever in others. But I will say this. Thank you, dear reader, for getting through this story and to this point.**

 **Thank you, The Loud Author, for creating stories that inspired me to write on here. I dedicate this story's inception to you and I hope you read it as well as liked it.**

 **Which means I must now say goodbye. But it's not really a goodbye so much as a see you later. Take care and have a great day everyone.**


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